2 


THE   NEW-CENTURY   BIBLE 

♦GENESIS,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  W.  H.  BemneTt,  Litt.D.,  D.D. 
»RXODUS.  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  W.  H.  Bennett,  Litt.D.,  D.D. 
LEVITICU3  AND  NUMBERS,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  A.  R.  S.  KENNEDy,  M.A.,  D.D. 
*DEUTERONOMYand  JOSHUA,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  H.  Wheki.er  Robi.nsom. 

M.A. 
•JUDGES  A.ND  RUTH,  by  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Thatcher,  M.A.,  B.D. 
*!  AND  H  SAMUEL,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  A.  R.  S.  Kennedy,  M.A.,  D.D. 
'I  AND  II  KINGS,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  Skinner,  D.D.  ,' 

»I  AND  II  CHRONICLES,  by  the  Rev.  W.  Harvev-Jellie,  M.A.,  B.D. 
EZRA,  NEH£MIAH,  AND  ESTHER,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  T.  Witto.n  Davies, 
B.A.,  Ph.D.  f 

*JOB,  by  Prof.  A.  S.  Peakb,  M.A.,  D.D.  .\ 

*  PSALMS  (Vol.  I)-I  to  LXXII,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  DAVISON,  M.A.,  D.D. 
•PSALMS  (Vol.  II)  LXXIII  TO  END,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  T.  Witton  D.wiES. 
B.A.,  Ph.D. 
PROVERBS,    ECCLESIASTES,    and     SONG    OF    SOLOMON,     by    th» 

Rev.  Prof.  G.  CuRRia  Martin,  .M.A.,  B.D. 
*ISAIAH,  by  the  Rev.  Principal  Whitehouse,  M.A.,  D.D. 
*ISAIAH  XL-LXIII,  by  the  Rev.  Principal  Whitehouse,  M.A.,  D.D. 
JEREMIAH  AND  LAMENTATIONS,  by  Prof.  A.  S.  Phake.  M.A.,  D.D. 
♦EZEKIEL,  by  the.  Rev.  Prof.  W.  F.  LoFTHOUSE.  M.A. 
DANIEL,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  R.  H.  Charles,  D.D. 
*MINOR  PROPHET^:  Hosh.%,  Toei^  Amos,  Obadiah,  Jonah,  Mic.\h,  by  the 

Rev.  R.  F.  HORTON,  M.A.,  D.D. 
\MINOR  PROPHETS:  Nahum,  Habakkuk,  Zephaniah,  Haggai,  Z^echariah, 
Mal.\chi,   by  the    Rev.  Canon  Driver,  Litt.  D.,  D.D. 

*i.  MATTHEW,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  W.  F.  Sl.\ter,  M.A. 

*2.  MARK,  by  the  late  Principal  Salmond,  D.D. 

•3.  LUKE,  by  Principal  W.  F.  Adeney,  M.A.,  D.D. 

^4.  JOHN,  by  the  Rev.  J.  A.  M^ClymONT,  D.D. 

'<;.  ACTS,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  J.  Vernom  Bartlet,  M..\.,  D.D. 

*6.  ROMANS,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  A.  E.  Garvie,  M.A.,  D.D. 

*j.  I  AND  II  CORINTHIANS,  by  Prof.  J.  Massie.  M.A..  D.D. 

*8.  EPHESIANS,    COLOSSIANS,    PHILEMON,    PHILIPPIANS,    by  the 

Rev.  Prof.  G.  Currib  Martim,  M.A.,  B.D. 
'o.  I  AND  II  THESSALONL\NS,  GALATIANS,  by  Principal  W.  F.  Adbnby, 

M.A.,  D.D. 
*io.  THE  PASTORAL  EPISTLES,  by  the  Rev.  R.  F.  Horton,  M.A.,  D.D. 
»ii.  HEBREWS,  by  Prof.  A.  S.  PeAKE,  M.A.,  D.D. 
'12.  THE  GEN' ER.\L  EPISTLES,  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  W.  H.  Bennbtt,  Litt.D. 

D.D. 
13.  REVELATION,  by  the  Rev.  C.  Anderson  Scott,  M..V.,  B.D. 

[T/iOSt  Marked*  are  already  published.^ 


i 


vv 


General  Editor  : 
Principal  Walter  F.  Adeney,  M.A.,  D.D. 


<Eroi>u0 


INTRODUCTION;  REVISED  VERSION  WITH 
NOTES,  GIVING  AN  ANALYSIS  SHOWING 
FROM  WHICH  OF  THE  ORIGINAL  DOCU- 
^!ENTS  EACH  PORTION  OF  THE  TEXT 
IS  TAKEN;   INDEX  AND  MAP 


EDITED  BY 

W.  H.  BENNETT,  D.D.  (Aber.) 

M.A.  (LOND.),    LITT.D.  (cAMB.) 

PROFESSOR,    HACKNEV   ANU  NEW  COLLEGES,   LONDON 

SOMETIME  FELLOW   OF  ST.   JOHN'S  COLLEGE,   CAMBRIDGE 


NEW  YORK:  HENRY  FROWDE 

OXFORD  UNIVERSITY   PRESS,  AMERICAN   BRANCH 

EDINBURGH :  T.  C.  Sz  E.  C.  JACK  ' 


The  Rui'isED  VhRsios  is  printed  by  permission  of  the 
Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge 


THE  NEW-CENTURY  BIBLE 
EXODUS 


OXrORD:    HORACE  HART 
PRIMTBR   TO  THE  UNIVERSITY 


rlJCK 


EDITOR^S  PREFACE 

For  the  chief  works  used  in  the  preparation  of  this 
iition  o^  Exodus  see  on  page  37,  and  acknowledge- 
ents  in  footnotes.  The  Editor  is  specially  indebted 
:  Prof.  A.  R.  S.  Kennedy's  articles  on  the  Taber- 
icle,  &c.,  &c.,  in  Dr.  Hastings's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 
:e  has  to  thank  Prof.  Kennedy,  Dr.  Hastings,  and 
[essrs.  1\  &  T.  Clark  for  permission  to  use  some  of 
le  illustrations  in  the  Dictionary  ;  and  the  publishers 
■  the  Oxford  Helps  to  the  Study  of  the  Bible  for 
srmission  to  use  an  illustration  taken  from  the  Arch 
f  Titus.  I^he  division  of  the  text  between  the  docu- 
lents  out  of  which  Exodus  was  compiled  is  indicated 
^  capitals  inserted  in  the  text  in  brackets,  and  at  the 
ead  of  the  pages.  These  capitals  are  explained  in 
le  Table  of  Symbols,  p.  29. 

Explanations  of  points  in  chapters  xxxv-xl  must 
)r  the  most  part  be  looked  for  in  earlier  sections,  of 
hich  these  chapters  are  largely  a  word  for  word 
jpetition. 


CONTENTS 


Editor's  Introduction 

I.  Historical  and  Religious  Significance 
II.  Moses  and  the  Exodus       .... 

III.  Aaron  and  the  Tabernacle 

IV.  The  Date  of  the  Exodus    .... 

V^.  The  Book  of  the  Covenant  and   the  Code   of 
Hammurabi    ...... 


VI.  How  Exodus  was  written  ;  its  Name 

VII.  Summary  of  the  Contents  of  Exodus,  arranged 
according  to  the  Main  Sources 

VIII.  How  far  and  with  what  Degree  of  Certainty 

the  Contents  of  Exodus  can  be   assigned  to 

their  Original  Sources    .... 

Table  A.  Symbols  .... 

,,     B.  The  Analysis  .... 

,,     C.  Comparison  of  Chief  Contents  of  the 

Three  Main  Documents    . 
„     D.  The  Chief  Texts  and  Versions 
,,     E.  Literature          .... 
Text  of  the  Revised  Version  with  Annotations 
Appendix     I.  The  Passover    .... 
II.  The  Tabernacle 
III.  The  Date  of  Hammurabi . 
Index       


PAGE 
3 

3 

5 
6 

8 

13 
15 

i8 


27 
29 

31 

33 

36 

37 

41 

283 

284 

289 

290 


Map.     Sinai  Peninsula  and  Canaan  .        .         .       atfi-ont 

Illustrations  : — 

From  the  Arch  of  Titus 205 

Frame  and  Bases  of  Tabernacle         .         .         .         .211 

Altar  of  Burnt  Offermg 215 

Model  of  Tabernacle  ......     285 

Plan  of  Court  of  Tabernacle      .....     286 


THE   BOOK  OF  EXODUS 

INTRODUCTION 


THE  BOOK  OF  EXODUS 

INTRODUCTION 

I.  Historical  and  Religious  Significance  ^ 
Our  book  is  of  immense  importance  for  Revealed 
Religion,  partly  on  account  of  the  light  it  throws  on  the 
social  and  religious  history  of  Israel.  Its  value  largely 
arises  from  the  way  in  which  it  was  composed ;  it  is  the 
last  of  several  editions  of  the  history  and  laws  of  the  Chosen 
People ;  and  thus  it  preserves  for  us  traditions  from 
many  sources  and  periods^.  Briefly,  two  collections  of 
traditions  and  customary  law  were  compiled  some  time 
before  the  Fall  of  Samaria,  B.  c.  721 :  these  two  collections 
may  be  called  the  Primitive  Document  °  and  the  Elohistic 
Document* ;  they  passed  through  various  editions,  and 
were  ultimately  combined  into  a  single  work,  and  were 
further  combined  with  other  documents,  notably  the 
Priestly  Document  ^,  composed  some  time  after  the  Exile. 
Other  minor  additions  were  made  later,  until  our  Exodus 
was  completed  in  its  present  form. 

Thus  our  book  reflects  the  social  and  religious  life  of 
Israel  for  many  centuries.  As  the  hills,  the  river-beds 
and  banks,  the  railway  cuttings  of  a  district,  may  reveal  a 
succession  of  geological  strata,  and  throw  light  upon  the 
history  of  our  globe  through  many  thousands  of  years,  so 
the  striking  variety  of  style  and  ideas  in  the  Pentateuch 
teaches  the  humble  and  devout  student  of  God's  Word 
much  concerning  the  successive  stages  by  which  Revelation 

^  For  the  historical  method  of  the  O.T.  and  its  value  for 
religion  see  the  present  writer's  Genesis,  pp.  4-7,  47-51,  and 
Dr.  Skinner's  Kings,  pp.  3-10. 

^  Cf.  further  pp.  15  ff.  ^  Cf.  further  p.  19. 

*  Cf.  further  p.  22.  '  Cf.  further  p.  25. 

B   2 


4  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

was  imparted  to  Israel.  Or,  to  use  another  figure — 
let  us  imagine  a  rambling  old  manor  house :  an  expert 
'  conversant  with  the  history  and  details  of  architecture  * 
will  at  once  discern  that  it  has  been  built  in  different 
styles  at  various  periods.  The  main  building,  perhaps,  is 
Elizabethan,  but  the  hall  has  been  taken  over  from  a 
Tudor  house  on  the  same  site  ;  certain  features  of  the 
stables  and  the  cellars  show  that  portions  of  Norman  and 
even  Saxon  work  have  been  preserved.  On  the  other 
hand,  a  Georgian  squire  has  added  a  picture-gallery,  his 
grandson  a  billiard-room,  and  his  great-great-grandson 
a  motor  garage.  Such  a  building  is  an  epitome  of  the 
history  of  England  ^  So  with  Exodus,  any  one  who  is 
conversant  with  the  history  of  the  language,  literature, 
and  the  political,  social,  and  religious  life  of  Israel  at 
once  discerns  that  its  various  sections  have  been  composed 
at  various  times  under  different  conditions.  In  the  great 
groups  of  chapters  belonging  to  the  Priestly  Documents 
he  discovers  an  invaluable  mass  of  information  concerning 
the  Jews  of  the  Restoration;  but  embedded  between 
these  groups  he  finds  traditions  that  were  current  in  the 
time  of  David  and  Solomon,  and  customs  that  may 
partly  belong  to  a  still  more  remote  antiquity.  Indeed 
there  is  hardly  a  generation  from  David  to  Ezra,  and 
even  later,  that  has  not  left  some  trace  of  its  religious 
thought  and  feeling  on  the  Pentateuch.  We  cannot  now 
indeed  assign  with  certainty  a  date,  a  place  of  origin,  and 
still  less  an  author  to  every  section,  or— to  recur  to  our 
figure — we  cannot  say  with  certainty  when  and  by  whom 
every  piece  of  repair  in  the  stonework  was  executed,  or 
every  additional  pinnacle,  turret,  or  other  ornament  was 
added.  But  the  whole  provides  a  vast  store  of  information 
for  the  scholar,  and  is  a  perennial  source  of  inspiration  for 
the  docile  disciple  of  the  Spirit  of  God.     It  stands  as  a 


'  This    illustration    is    adapted    from    Milner's    Galltry    of 
Nature,  p.  784. 


INTRODUCTION  5 

monument  of  a  continuous  Revelation  and  a  never-failing 
response.  With  the  perfect  candour  from  which  the  Bible 
never  shrinks,  it  shows  us  how  foolishness,  selfishness, 
and  sin  interpreted  the  Divine  message  amiss,  and 
obscured  and  distorted  the  Vision  of  the  Most  High. 
Yet,  in  spite  of  this,  we  see  how  at  all  times  God  was 
seeking  man. 

'Eager  to  find  if  ever,  or  if  any, 
Souls  v^'ill  obey  and  hearken  to  His  will ' — 

God  was  seeking  Man  and  finding  him ;  and  Man  too 
was  seeking  God  and  finding  Him. 

The  direct  spiritual  value  of  such  a  book  is  obvious,  and 
the  Church  has  owed  much  to  Exodus,  perhaps  chiefly  in 
the  way  of  type  and  allegory.  The  fortunes  of  Israel  were 
a  parable  of  the  believer's  escape  from  the  bondage  of  sin,  of 
his  backslidings  and  chastisements,  and  of  Divine  patience, 
discipline,  and  deliverance— a  Pilgrim's  Progress^  long 
before  Bunyan  wrote.  The  Tabernacle  and  its  ritual 
have  been  an  inexhaustible  mine  of  types  and  metaphors 
of  Christ  and  His  work. 

II.  Moses  and  the  Exodus. 
In  these  days  the  apostolic  admonition  to  'prove  all 
things'  is  very  thoroughly  observed,  and  even  the  most 
fundamental  persons  and  facts  of  Israelite  history  have 
not  escaped  a  ruthless  scrutiny.  It  has  even  been  doubted 
whether  such  a  person  as  Moses  ^  ever  existed,  or  whether 
the  Twelve  Tribes  were  ever  in  bondage  in  Egypt. 
Clearly  if  there  were  no  sojourn  in  Egypt,  there  could  have 
been  no  Exodus.  Moses,  it  has  been  suggested,  was  the 
eponymous  ancestor  of  a  Levitical  family.  Distinguished 
names  can,  indeed,  be  quoted  in  favour  of  such  views ; 
but  we  believe  that  it  is  still  true  that  the  weight  of 
authority  supports  the  historical  character  of  Moses  and  of 
the  crucial  events  of  the  Exodus,  i.e.  the  sojourn  of  Israelite 

^  Cf.  on  ii.  10. 


6  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

tribes  in  Egypt ;  the  oppression ;  the  flight ;  the  deliverance 
at  the  Red  Sea  ;  a  period  of  nomad  hfe  ;  the  beginning  of 
the  national  existence  of  Israel  by  a  federation  of  tribes  ; 
and  an  advance  in  Revealed  Religion  connected  with  the 
adoption  of  Yahweh  as  the  God  of  Israel.  In  all  this 
Moses  was  the  leading  spirit  ^ ;  and  although  most  of  the 
legislation  belongs  to  a  later  time,  doubtless  the  Pentateuch 
includes  laws  which  Moses  ordained  or  adopted. 

But  when  we  attempt  to  go  further  we  are  confronted 
by  serious  difficulties  ^ ;  Exodus  itself  preserves  for  us  a 
number  of  conflicting  traditions.  The  records  of  Assyria, 
Babylonia,  and  Egypt  do  not  yet  afford  us  any  material 
help  in  reconstructing  the  detailed  history  of  Moses  and 
his  followers.  A  few  years,  however,  may  make  large 
additions  to  our  knowledge  from  the  inscriptions,  so  that 
any  theories  now  held  are  merely  tentative. 

We  may,  however,  mention  one  view  which  offers  an 
explanation  of  some  of  the  present  evidence.  It  is  sug- 
gested that  there  was  more  than  one  invasion  of  Canaan 
by  the  Israelites  ;  that  first  one  group  of  tribes,  and  then 
another,  endeavoured,  with  more  or  less  success,  to  obtain 
a  footing  in  Palestine  ;  that  only  some  of  the  tribes, 
possibly  only  Joseph,  sojourned  in  Egypt  ;  and  that 
while  some  of  the  Israelites  were  in  Egypt,  others  were 
still  living  a  nomad  life  to  the  south  and  east  of  Palestine, 
while  others,  again,  were  already  settled  in  the  Promised 
Land.  After  the  Exodus,  the  Israelites  from  Egypt 
joined  the  nomad  tribes,  and  a  subsequent  invasion  of 
Canaan  united  them  with  the  earlier  settlers,  and  completed 
the  Twelve  Tribes. 

III.  Aaron  and  the  Tabernacle l 

The  case  of  Aaron  presents  special  difficulties  ;  it  is 
questioned    whether   he    figured    at    all   in    the   ancient 

^  Cf.  the  present  writer's  article  Moses  in  DB. 

2  Cf.  pp.  8  ff.  3  q;  on  iv,  i^  and  Appendix  II. 


INTRODUCTION  > 

traditions  as  they  were  recorded  in  the  earhest  editions  of 
either  of  the  Primitive  or  the  Elohistic  Document.  He 
is  supposed  to  have  been  introduced  into  the  story  by  the 
authors  of  the  later  additions  or  notes  to  these  works, 
some  time  before  B.  c.  700. 

Aaron,  the  brother  of  Moses,  the  ancestor  of  the 
Jerusalem  priesthood,  belongs  to  the  post-exilic  Priestly 
versions  of  the  tradition  \  In  the  earlier  tradition  Joshua 
is  the  Priest  of  the  '  Tent  of  Meeting  -.' 

In  the  sections  of  the  earlier  documents  as  they  now 
stand  the  name  of  Aaron  has  been  introduced  by  the 
editors  ^ — freely,  but  not  systematically  ;  it  is  absent  from 
whole  sections  where  it  would  naturally  occur.  The 
result  is  that  Aaron  is  as  a  rule  a  mere  shadow  of  Moses. 
Curiously  enough,  in  the  only  two  sections  in  which  he 
acts  independently,  he  plays  an  unworthy  part ;  he 
manufactures  the  Golden  Calf,  and  he  sets  himself  up 
in  opposition  to  Moses  *.  Both  of  these  incidents  are 
ascribed  to  the  Elohistic  Document  :  perhaps  the  author 
or  one  of  the  editors  of  that  work  was  acquainted  with  a 
tradition  in  which  Aaron  figured  not  as  a  priest  and  a 
brother  of  Moses,  but  as  a  rival  leader. 

As  the  consonants  of  the  Hebrew  name  Aharon  (Aaron) 
only  differ  from  ai-on,  the  word  for  '  ark,'  by  the  insertion 
of  'h,'  as  Abraham  differs  from  Abram,  it  has  been 
suggested  that  originally  Aaron  was  a  personification 
of  the  Ark.  The  priesthood  of  the  Ark  might  be  called 
*  sons  of  the  Ark '  as  a  Christian  might  be  called  '  a  child 
of  the  Cross.'  Moses  was  identified  with  the  northern 
kingdom  as  the  ancestor  of  the  priesthood  of  Dan  °.  Thus 
the  rivalry  of  the  two  priesthoods  may  have  given  rise  to 
the  tradition  of  the  antagonism  of  Moses  and  Aaron. 

^  Exodus  iv.  14  presents  difficulties  as  regards  this  view ; 
we  have  not  space  to  discuss  how  these  might  be  met. 
■'■'  Exod.  xxxiii.  11. 

^  According  to  the  view  which  we  are  expounding. 
*  Num.  xii.  ^  Judges  xviii.  30. 


8  THE    BOOK  OF    EXODUS 

The  elaborate  accounts  of  the  Tabernacle  and  its  furni- 
ture, of  the  priests  and  their  vestments  in  Exodus  xxv- 
xxxi,  xxxv-xl  also  belong  to  the  late  Priestly  writings. 
The  chief  historical  value  of  these  chapters  lies  in  their 
relation  to  the  Temple.  Up  to  a  certain  point  they  re- 
produce the  features  of  Solomon's  Temple,  and  are  based 
upon  the  ritual  of  its  services  in  the  closing  years  of  the 
Jewish  Monarchy.  On  the  other  hand,  these  chapters 
were  intended  as  directions  for  the  worship  at  Jerusalem 
after  the  Return,  and  largely  determined  the  character  of 
the  post-exilic  Temples  and  their  services. 

At  the  same  time  the  earlier  tradition  is  acquainted  with 
a  'Tent  of  Meeting';  and  there  is  nothing  improbable  in 
the  idea  that  the  Israelites  in  their  nomad  life  had  a 
sacred  tent ;  but  this  would  be  smaller  and  less  elaborate 
than  the  Tabernacle  described  in  Exodus.  Movable  shrines 
of  a  comparatively  simple  character  are  shown  in  sculp- 
tures of  Egyptian  camps. 

IV.  The  Date  of  the  Exodus. 

It  is  customary  to  speak  of  Rameses  11,  B.  c.  1 300-1 234*, 
as  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Oppression,  and  his  son  and 
successor,  Merenptah,  B.C.  1234-1214,^  as  the  Pharaoh  of 
the  Exodus,  as  if  this  were  an  established  fact.  Really  it 
is  only  one  among  many  theories,  though  perhaps  it  is  the 
theory  most  widely  accepted  at  present,  e.g.  by  Prof. 
E.  L.  Curtis^.  This  theory  rests  on  a  very  narrow  and 
precarious  foundation.  In  i.  11^  it  is  stated  that  the 
Israelites  duringthe  Oppression  built  Pithom  and  Rameses, 
and  Egyptian  inscriptions  show  that  building  operations 

^  These  dates  are  those  given  by  Prof.  W.  M.  Flinders 
Petrie  in  his  History  of  Egypt,  iii.  2.  There  is  no  absolute 
agreement  as  to  the  chronology  ;  but  a  comparison  of  authori- 
ties suggests  that  the  above  dates  may  be  accepted  as  approxi- 
mately correct. 

-  DB.,  Chroxology,  with  some  hesitation  as  to  Merenptah. 

^  Cf.  further  the  notes  on  this  verse. 


INTRODUCTION  9 

were  carried  on  at  Pithom  under  Rameses  II.  The  date 
thus  obtained  is  inconsistent  with  the  Biblical  chronology  ; 
and  it  is  held  by  many  scholars  that  this  theory  is  rendered 
impossible  by  recent  discoveries  in  Egypt ; '  to  this  we 
shall  return. 

The  old-fashioned  traditional  theories,  following  the 
more  conspicuous  evidence  of  the  Old  Testament,  placed 
the  Exodus  much  earlier  '^.  Take,  for  instance.  Archbishop 
Ussher,  whose  dates,  unfortunately,  are  still  printed  in 
the  margins  of  many  current  editions  of  the  Bible.  Ussher 
dates  the  Exodus  in  B.C.  1491.  On  the  other  hand,  some 
modern  scholars  propose  the  period  after  the  death  of 
Rameses  III,  c.  B.  c.  1200. 

Let  us  consider  first  the  Biblical  data ;  it  will  be  seen 
that  they  are  inconsistent. 

(i)  Exodus  i.  II,  just  referred  to,  gives  prima  facie 
strong  support  to  the  view  that  Rameses  II  was  the 
Pharaoh  of  the  Oppression.  Nevertheless  it  is  only  an 
isolated,  uncorroborated  assertion  of  a  relatively  late  tra- 
dition ;  nor  does  it  seem  absolutely  impossible  that  the 
work  of  the  Israelites  at  Pithom  might  be  different  from 
the  building  carried  out  under  the  orders  of  Rameses  II. 

Moreover,  as  many  scholars  have  felt,  even  if  Rameses  II 
was  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Oppression  it  does  not  follow 
that  Merenptah  was  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus.  It 
is  true  that  in  Exodus  the  one  seems  to  be  the  successor 
of  the  other,  but  tradition  is  not  careful  in  such  matters. 

If,  however,  this  theory  is  adopted,  the  Exodus  would 
be  dated  in  B.C.  1214.  It  is  not,  indeed,  definitely  stated 
that  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus  perished  in  the  Red  Sea, 
but  that  is  the  obvious  intention  of  the  narrative. 

This  very  precise  determination  of  the  date,  however, 
has  been  set  aside  by  the  discovery  of  the  mummy  of 
Merenptah,  which  shows  that  he  was  not  drowned  in  the 

^  e.  gr.  Guthe,  Auszug,  in  the  Kurscr  BilbelwdricrbHch. 
-  Cf.  below  i^ii)  and  ^iii). 


10  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

Red  Sea.  Thus  we  should  merely  have  a  date  between 
B.  c.  1234-1214. 

(ii)  In  I  Kings  vi.  i  it  is  stated  that  Solomon  began 
to  build  the  Temple  in  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign,  in  the 
480th  year  after  the  Exodus.  Solomon's  son,  Rehoboam, 
was  a  contemporary  of  the  Egyptian  king  Shishak\  B.C. 
952-930^.  On  this  and  other  grounds  the  accession  of 
Solomon  is  placed  about  B.  C.  970.  This  would  give  us 
for  the  date  of  the  Exodus  B.  C.  1450. 

(iii)  According  to  any  natural  application  of  the  view 
that  our  books  from  JosMia  to  Kings  are  always  to  be 
understood  as  accurate  literal  history,  a  series  of  periods 
— reigns,  judgeships,  oppressions,  &c.— would  be  taken 
to  run  consecutively  ;  and  this  would  give  us  an  interval 
of  considerably  more  than  534  years  between  the  Exodus 
and  the  Building  of  the  Temple^.  This  would  fix  the 
date  of  the  Exodus  some  time  before  B.  C.  1 504. 

(iv)  According  to  Exodus  xii.  40  f.  the  Israelites  were 
in  Egypt  430  years  ^,  and  according  to  the  figures  in  Genesis 
there  was  an  interval  of  190  years  between  the  birth  of 
Isaac  and  the  settlement  of  Jacob  in  Egypt  ^  Now  the 
birth  of  Isaac  took  place  after  the  invasion  of  Amraphel^. 
Amraphel  is  usually  identified  with  Hammurabi,  who 
may  possibly  have  reigned  as  late  as  B.C.  1920'^.  This 
would  fix  the  Exodus  before  1920— 620= B.  C.  1300. 

(v)  The  genealogies  are  comparatively  useless  for  such 

^   I  Kings  xiv.  15.  -^  Petrie,  iii.  232,  cf.  p.  8. 

'  The  sum  of  the  periods  actually  given  is  534,  and  no  periods 
are  given  for  the  leadership  of  Joshua,  the  judgeship  of  Samuel, 
or  the  reign  of  Saul.  Cf.  Bennett  and  Adeney,  Biblical 
Introduction^  pp.  83  ff. 

*  In  Gen.  xv.  13,  the  '  affliction  '  is  to  last  400  years :  cf.  notes 
on  the  two  passages. 

^  Counting  backwards,  Jacob  was  130  years  old  \vhen  he 
settled  in  Egypt,  Gen.  xlvii.  9 ;  Isaac  was  60  years  old  when 
Jacob  was  born,  Gen.  xxv.  26. 

^  Gen.  xiv.  i,  xv.  i,  xxi.  2.     Cf.  Appendix  III. 

"  Page  13.  Winckler,  however,  Hist.  Baby,  and  Assyr., 
dates  Hammurabi,  b.  c.  2267-2213  ;  others  give  B.C.  2100. 


INTRODUCTION  ii 

purposes  as  this  ;  for  many  reasons,  the  most  obvious 
being  that  it  is  always  possible  that  links  have  been 
omitted  for  the  sake  of  brevity  or  by  accident.  Never- 
theless, it  is  worth  while  noticing  the  difference  in  the 
genealogies  as  to  the  number  of  generations.  It  may 
fairly  be  regarded  as  another  trace  of  the  existence  of 
conflicting  traditions.  In  view  of  the  very  slight  value  of 
this  evidence,  we  need  not  dwell  upon  it,  but  a  single 
instance  may  be  given. 

Combining  Gen.  xxxviii.  29  with  Ruth  iv.  18-22,  we  get 
nine  names  between  Jacob  and  David  \  Again,  com- 
bining Exod.  vi.  16-20  with  I  Chron.  vi.  49-53,  there  are 
thirteen  names  between  Jacob  and  Zadok  the  contem- 
porary of  David  ^. 

Speaking  generally,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  reconcile 
the  genealogies  with  any  of  the  earlier  dates  suggested 
for  the  Exodus. 

(vi)  We  may  turn  next  to  the  Egyptian  and  other 
inscriptions.  The  evidence  from  these  sources  is  still 
meagre  and  ambiguous  ^,  but  a  certain  amount  is  slowly 
accumulating,  and  it  is  becoming  more  and  more  difficult 
to  reconcile  the  testimony  of  the  monuments  with  the 
Biblical  narratives,  if  the  latter  are  interpreted  as  a  single 
consecutive  story.  If,  however,  we  adopt  some  such 
division  into  sources  as  that  of  this  volume,  it  may  be 
possible  to  combine  the  statements  of  the  older  documents 
with  the  inscriptions.  Possibly,  too,  we  should  find  it 
necessary  to  modify  the  somewhat  doubtful  division  of 
the  material  between  the  Primitive  Document  and  the 
Elohistic  Document  ^ 

We  may  mention  two  or  three  of  the  more  important 
inscriptions  which  may  bear  upon  our  problems  ^ 

^  Not  counting  either  Jacob  or  David. 
2  Not  counting  either  Jacob  or  Zadok. 

^  Much  that  is  commonly  adduced  is  irrelevant,  at  any  rate 
as  far  as  the  main  issues  are  concerned. 
*  Cf.  pp.  27  f. 
^  Cf.  Bennett  and  Adeney,  Biblicul  Introduction,  pp.  64,  77. 


12  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

In  the  celebrated  Amarna  Tablets,  c.  B.  C.  1400,  certain 
Habiri  are  spoken  of  as  invading  Palestine,  and  these 
are  identified  by  some  scholars  with  the  Hebrews.  This 
would  place  the  Exodus  about  B.  C.  1440,  which  fairly 
agrees  with  the  date  given  us  by  i  Kings  vi.  i  *. 

Inscriptions  of  Rameses  II  and  his  predecessor  Seti  I 
apparently  mention  the  tribe  of  Asher  in  its  proper  district 
in  Palestine,  at  a  time  when,  according  to  the  Rameses- 
Merenptah  theory  ^  it  was  undergoing  oppression  in 
Egypt  together  with  the  other  tribes. 

Then  there  is  an  inscription  of  Merenptah  himself,  which 
at  first  sight  seems  fatal  to  the  Rameses-Merenptah 
theory.  The  natural  interpretation  of  it  seems  to  be 
that  Merenptah  laid  waste  the  lands  of  Israel  in  Palestine, 
whereas  if  he  was  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus  he  died  before 
Israel  had  any  lands  in  Palestine.  However,  it  does  not 
seem  absolutely  certain  that  it  is  correct  to  read  one  of 
the  names  in  this  inscription  as  Israel;  and  the  sentence 
is  sufficiently  indefinite  to  admit  of  more  than  one  possible 
explanation. 

Turning  to  more  general  considerations,  the  Exodus 
seems  to  have  taken  place  when  Egypt  was  weak  and 
had  lost  its  dominion  over  Sinai  and  Palestine.  Such  a 
state  of  affairs  existed  in  the  period  of  the  Amarna 
Tablets  "  and  after  the  death  of  Rameses  III,  c.  B.  C.  1200. 
The  Syrian  dominion  was  also  lost  for  a  time  after  the 
death  of  Merenptah,  but  was  speedily  recovered  by 
Rameses  III. 

At  present,  therefore,  it  is  impossible  to  combine  the 
Biblical  statements  with  the  evidence  of  the  monuments 
so  as  to  fix  the  date  of  the  Exodus  with  any  certainty. 
On  the  one  hand,  Exodus  i.  1 1  might,  with  sufficient  mani- 
pulation of  the  figures,  be  combined  with  Exodus  xii.  40  ; 
Gen.  XV.  13,  in  support  of  the  Rameses-Merenptah  theory*. 


'  Cf.  (ii)  above.  ^  Cf.  \\)  above. 

^  Cf.  above.  *  Cf.  above  [\),  (iv). 


INTRODUCTION  13 

And,  on  the  other  hand,  i  Kings  vi.  i  ^  might  be  supported 
bythe  Amama  Tablets  and  some  of  the  other  archaeological 
evidence.  Perhaps  the  Israelites  preserved  traditions  of 
two  distinct  invasions. 


V.  The  Book  of  the  Covenant  and  the  Code 
OF  Hammurabi^. 

For  the  historian  the  most  valuable  part  of  Exodus 
is  chapters  xx-xxiii,  which  include  the  Ten  Command- 
ments and  the  Book  of  the  Covenant.  From  the  latter 
we  get  a  vivid  picture  of  social  conditions  under  the 
Early  Monarchy.  Israel,  it  appears,  was  a  purely  agri- 
cultural people— there  is  hardly  any  reference  to  trade. 
The  extremes  of  wealth  and  poverty  are  rare ;  as  a  rule 
the  free  Israelite  is  a  farmer  cultivating  his  own  land. 
Slavery  exists  in  a  comparatively  mild  form.  There  are 
survivals  of  primitive  barbarism ;  we  meet  with  the 
principle  of  *  an  eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,* 
and  a  man  is  allowed  to  flog  male  and  female  slaves  to 
death  provided  they  do  not  actually  die  under  his  hand. 
But  on  the  whole  the  Book  of  the  Covenant  is  an  attempt 
to  secure  an  advance  in  justice  and  humanity.  It 
compares  favourably  with  the  English  criminal  law  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  with  the  statutes  of  the  slave 
states  of  America  in  the  earlier  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  One  of  the  most  interesting  discoveries  of 
modem  times,  the  Code  of  Hammurabi,  shows  that  the 
Book  of  the  Covenant  largely  reproduces  the  social 
principles  and  customs  of  the  ancient  Semitic  peoples. 

Hammurabi,  probably  the  Amraphel  of  Gen.  xiv.  I, 
was  one  of  the  most  important  personalities  in  the  history 
of  Western  Asia,  a  great  conqueror,  administrator,  and 
lawgiver.     We  may  possibly  put  him  as  late  as  about  B.  c. 

*  Cf.  above  (iii).  '^  Cf.  p.  10. 


14  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

1900*.  In  January  1902  a  monument  of  this  king's  was 
discovered  inscribed  with  a  collection  of  laws.  It  was 
*  a  block  of  black  diorite,  nearly  eight  feet  high,  found 
in  pieces,  but  readily  rejoined  V  The  inscription  covers 
two  sides  of  the  block,  and  at  the  top  of  one  side  there 
is  a  sculpture  representing  Hammurabi  receiving  his 
laws  from  Shamash  the  sun-god,  '  the  judge  of  heaven 
and  earth.'  The  inscription  may  be  roughly  described 
as  about  half  the  length  of  Exodus. 

The  contents  show  that  the  empire  of  Hammurabi  was 
a  much  more  highly  organized  and  civilized  state  than 
the  Israel  of  the  Book  of  the  Covenant ;  commerce 
especially  played  a  much  more  important  part  in  the 
life  of  the  people. 

There  were  law  courts,  legal  documents,  deeds  of  sale, 
marriage  settlements,  title-deeds,  regulations  as  to  the 
tenure,  renting,  and  cultivation  of  the  land  ;  as  to  damage 
done  to  property ;  as  to  the  relations  of  a  merchant  and 
his  agent ;  as  to  the  management  of  public-houses,  as  lO 
betrothals,  marriage,  divorce,  adoption,  and  inheritance ; 
as  to  wages,  doctors'  fees,  the  hire  of  oxen,  waggons,  and 
boats. 

In  the  detailed  notes  ^  we  point  out  the  close  agree- 
ment both  in  substance  and  in  wording  between  some 
corresponding  laws  in  the  two  codes.  If  we  are  asked  to 
compare  the  ethical  value  of  the  two  sets  of  laws  "*,  each 
has  points  in  which  it  is  superior  to  the  other.  Both 
codes  were,  on  the  whole  just,  enlightened,  and  humane. 


*  But  C.  H.  Johns,  b.  c.  2285-2242.  See  p.  37  for  the  title  of 
Mr.  Johns'  translation  of  the  legal  portion  of  this  inscription. 
This  little  work,  published  at  eighteenpence  or  two  shillings, 
places  the  Code  within  reach  of  every  one.     Cf.  p.  10. 

^  Ct  notes  on  xx-xxiii. 

^  See  on  xxi.  2,  15 ff.,  22,  26-32  ;  xxii.  6-12. 

*  Leaving  theology  out  of  the  question.  The  introduction  to 
the  Code  of  Hammurabi  brings  into  prominence  the  polytheism 
of  the  Babylonian  King. 


INTRODUCTION  15 

judged  according  to  the  circumstances  of  their  times,  but 
perhaps  the  balance  would  incline  somewhat  in  favour  of 
the  Book  of  the  Covenant. 

Seeing  that  the  Babylonian  laws  are  centuries  oWer  than 
the  Israelite,  it  might  seem  at  first  sight  natural  to  explain 
the  parallels  by  supposing  that  the  more  recent  borrowed 
from  the  more  ancient.  And  as  Hammurabi's  code  was 
known  and  studied  in  Babylonia  and  Assyria  from  the 
time  when  it  was  composed  until  after  the  Jewish  Exile, 
Israelite  lawgivers  might  have  used  it  at  any  period  of 
the  history.  But,  while  it  is  clear  that  the  Babylonian 
code  must  have  had  some  general  and  indirect  influence 
at  least  upon  the  Book  of  the  Covenant,  it  is  not  certain 
that  there  was  actual  borrowing.  The  resemblances  may 
be  mainly  due  to  two  facts~(i)  that  the  Israelites  and  the 
Babylonians  were  dealing  with  similar  problems,  in  the 
same  spirit ;  they  were  alike  anxious  to  draw  up  a  set  of 
just  laws  ;  (ii)  the  two  codes  were  alike  based  on  the 
traditional  law  and  custom  prevailing  throughout  the 
ancient  East. 


VI.  How  EXODUS  WAS  WRITTEN;^  ITS  Name. 

Exodus  was  not  originally  a  separate  book ;  it  is 
merely  the  second  volume  into  which  the  Pentateuch, 
or  Five-Volumed-Work,  the  Jewish  Torah  or  Law,  was 
divided  for  the  sake  of  convenience.  Genesis  concludes 
the  story  of  the  Patriarchs  with  the  death  and  burial  of 
Joseph.  Exodus  begins  with  the  formation  of  the  people 
of  Israel  by  the  rapid  multiplication  of  the  descendants 
of  Jacob  in  Egypt ;  it  tells  the  story  of  the  Oppression, 
the  birth  and  early  years  of  Moses,  the  Ten  Plagues,  the 
Exodus  or  Departure  from  Egypt,  the  Deliverance  at  the 
Red  Sea,  the  march  to  Sinai,  the  giving  of  the  Law,  and 


^  Cf.  for  further  details  Century  Bible,  'Genesis,'  pp.  gff. 


i6  THE   BOOK   OF    EXODUS 

the  episode  of  the  Golden  Calf ;  and  concludes  with  the 
account  of  the  Construction  and  Erection  of  the  Taber- 
nacle. 

As  Exodus  was  originally  part  of  the  Pentateuch,  an 
account  of  its  origin  involves  a  brief  sketch  of  the  history 
of  the  larger  work  of  which  it  is  a  part. 

The  Pentateuch  was  a  compilation  from  earlier  works; 
it  was  the  final  edition  of  the  Law  of  Israel,  these  earlid 
works  being  former  editions  of  that  law. 

The  most  important  of  these  earlier  works  will  be 
spoken  of  in  this  commentary  as  the  Primitive  Document^ 
the  Elohistic  Document'^,  Deuteronomy^,  and  the  Priestly 
Document  "*.  These  four  were  combined  by  the  editors 
of  the  Pentateuch  into  a  single  continuous  work,  just  as 
the  Four  Gospels  are  often  pieced  together  to  make  a 
continuous  story  or  *  Harmony.'  In  both  cases  the  editors 
or  harmonizers  have  largely  retained  the  actual  words  of 
the  older  works.  But  in  the  case  of  the  Pentateuch,  the 
piecing  together  of  paragraphs  and  phrases  necessitated 
the  additions  of  many  words  and  sentences  by  the  editors ; 
who  also  added  numerous  notes  and  comm.ents  to  explain 
or  correct  what  they  took  from  their  sources.  After  the 
fashion  of  ancient  literature  these  notes  and  comments 
came  to  be  written  as  part  of  the  book  itself,  with  nothing 
to  distinguish  them  from  the  portions  taken  from  ancient 
documents. 

The  history  of  the  compilation  is  briefly  as  follows  ^ 

^  Denoted  by  the  symbol  J,  and  usually  known  as  the 
Jehovistic  or  Yahwistic  Document :  cf.  p.  19. 

-  Denoted  by  the  symbol  E  :  cf.  p.  22. 

3  Denoted  by  the  symbol  D ;  here,  however,  this  symbol  is 
used  for  editorial  notes  in  the  style  and  spirit  of  Deuteronomy : 
cf.  p.  17. 

*  Denoted  by  the  symbol  P,  and  often  referred  to  as  the 
Priestly  Code  :  cf.  p.  25. 

*  For  the  sake  of  clearness  many  details  are  omitted.  An 
exact  account  of  what  has  been  ascertained  as  to  the  process 
of  compilation  would  be  extremely  lengthy  and  compli- 
cated. 


INTRODUCTION  17 

At  some  time  between  the  death  of  Solomon  and  the 
Fall  of  Samaria^  two  collections  were  made  of  ancient 
laws,  customs,  and  traditions:  one,  the  Primitive  Docu- 
ment, in  Judah  ;  the  other,  the  Elohistic  Document,  in 
the  Northern  Kingdom.  These  two  works  passed  through 
various  editions. 

In  the  reign  of  Manasseh  or  Josiah^  a  new  edition  of 
the  laws  and  customs  was  compiled  in  Judah,  and  was  ac- 
cepted as  the  Law  of  Judah  by  a  solemn  covenant  at  the 
time  of  the  reforms  of  Josiah  ^  This  is  the  Book  of  the 
Law  found  in  the  Temple*,  and  included  the  central 
portions  of  our  Deuteronomy.  This  also  passed  through 
various  editions. 

About  the  same  time  an  editor  combined  current 
editions  of  the  Primitive  Document  and  of  the  Elohistic 
Document  into  a  single  work,  which  we  may  call  the 
Twofold  Document^. 

At  some  time  during  the  Exile  the  current  editions  of 
Detiterononiy  and  the  Twofold  Document  were  combined 
into  what  we  may  call  the  Threefold  Document ''. 

After  the  Exile  another  new  edition  of  the  history  and 
laws  was  compiled  at  Babylon  some  time  before  the 
reforms  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  '^ ;  this  was  the  Priestly 
Document. 

Soon  after,  our  Pentateuch  was  formed  by  the  com- 
bination of  the  Priestly  Document  with  the  Threefold 
Document,  together  with  certain  editorial  changes'^, 
Finally,  the  Pentateuch  was  divided  into  our  Five  Books, 
and  Exodus  arose  as  a  separate  work. 

^  Between  about  b.  c.  960  and  b.  c.  721. 

'^  Between  B.C.  700  and  b.c.  621. 

^  B,  c.  621.  *  2  Kings  xxiif. 

5  Denoted  by  the  symbol  JE  :  of.  on  R,  p.  30. 

*  Denoted  by  the  symbol  JED. 

'  B.C.  444.  *  Cf.  Genesis,  p.  13. 


1 8  THE   BOOK    OF   EXODUS 

By  way  of  a   very  rough   diagram  we  may  give  the 
following:  — 

Customs,  Laws,  and  Traditions. 


f 

E 
1 

'! 

I 

) 

1 

1 

1 
JED 

Pentateuch. 

The  Name  ExODUS,  *  Departure,'  i.  e.  the  departure  of 
the  Israelites  from  Egypt,  is  derived  from  the  contents 
of  the  opening  chapters  of  the  book.  This  name  is  first 
found  in  the  manuscripts  of  the  Septuagint^;  it  was 
adopted  by  the  Vulgate  and  other  Versions,  and  so 
became  the  title  of  the  book  in  the  Enghsh  Bible.  In  the 
Hebrew  Bible  it  is  called  We'elleh  Shejnoih, '  And  these  are 
the  names,'  from  the  opening  words  of  the  first  chapter. 

vn.  Summary  of  the  Contents  of  Exodus, 
Arranged  According  to  the  Main  Sources. 

As  the  Deuteronomic  Document,  D,  was  placed,  as  a 
whole,  almost  at  the  end  of  the  Pentateuch,  thus  forming 
the  central  portion  of  our  Deuteronomy,  no  portion  of  this 
document  is  included  in  Exodus.  Hence  in  this  volume 
we  have  used  the  symbol  D  for  various  notes,  (S:c.,  added 
by  editors  writing  in  the  spirit  or  under  the  influence  of 
the  Deuteronomic  Document;  these  are  indicated  in 
Table  B,  and  in  the  notes  on  the  text.    Thus  our  summary 

'  See  p.  36. 


INTRODUCTION  19 

is  only  concerned  with  the  Primitive  Document,  the 
Elohistic  Document,  and  the  Priestly  Document ;  from 
these  we  have: — 

(a)  Co7itents  of  the  Primitive  Document,  J  ^  The 
portions  of  this  Document  which  are  included  in  Exodus 
refer  to  the  period  from  the  Oppression  and  the  Birth  of 
Moses  to  the  Giving  of  the  Law.  A  summary  of  these  is 
given.  Some  of  the  earlier  editorial  additions  which  may 
have  been  added  to  this  document  before  it  was  combined 
with  E  are  given  in  italics — which,  however,  are  also  used 
for  the  headings  of  the  Plagues. 

i.  6,  8-12.  Death  of  Joseph.  A  new  Pharaoh  oppresses 
Israel  by  making  them  build  Pithom  and  Rameses.  Never- 
theless they  continue  to  increase. 

ii.  11-23^1:.  Moses  slays  an  Egyptian  who  was  ill- 
treating  a  Hebrew,  and  flees  to  Midian,  where  he  marries 
the  daughter  of  the  Priest  of  Midian,  and  has  a  son, 
Gershom.     Pharaoh  dies. 

iii  (Portions;^.  Yahweh  appears  to  Moses  in  the  Burning 
Bush,  and  bids  him  return  to  Egypt  and  announce  to  the 
elders  of  Israel  the  approaching  deliverance  of  the  people. 
Then,  accompanied  by  the  elders,  he  is  to  demand  from 
Pharaoh  permission  to  go  three  days'  journey  into  the 
wilderness  to  sacrifice  to  Yahweh. 

iv.  I- 1 2.  Moses  objects  that  the  Israelites  will  not 
believe  him. 

Yahweh  gives  him  Three  Signs  to  work  before 
them — a  rod  turned  to  a  serpent ;  his  hand  made 
leprous  and  healed ;  water  turned  to  blood. 

Moses  objects  that  he  is  not  eloquent.  Yahweh  replies 
that  He  will  teach  him  what  to  say. 

iv.  13-16.  Moses  still  demurs^  and  Yahweh  promises 
to  give  him  Aaron  the  Levite  for  a  spokestnan. 

iv.  19-31  (Portions).  At  the  bidding  of  Yahweh,  Moses 

^  See  p.   17.  ''  See  Table  B. 

C    2 


20  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

returns  to  Egypt  with  his  wife  and  son\  On  the  way 
Yahweh  seeks  to  kill  him,  but  is  appeased  by  the  circum- 
cision of  the  son. 

Moses  announces  the  coming  deliverance  to  the  elders  of 
Israel,  and  does  the  signs  before  the  people.    They  believe. 

V.  I— vi.  I  (Portions^).  Moses  and  the  elders  appear 
before  Pharaoh  and  demand  permission  to  go  three  days' 
journey  into  the  wilderness  to  sacrifice  to  Yahweh. 
Pharaoh  refuses,  and  increases  the  tasks  of  the  Israelites, 
who  appeal  in  vain  to  Him  for  relief.  They  reproach 
Moses.    He  appeals  to  Yahweh,  who  promises  deliverance. 

vii.  14-25  (Portions^).  As  Pharaoh  is  stubborn,  Yahweh 
sends  on  him  a  succession  of  Plagues^, 

I.  The  Fish  in  the  Nile  are  killed. 

viii.  1-15  (Portions).  II.  F?'ogs.  These  are  sent  through 
all  the  land.  Pharaoh  promises  to  let  the  people  go  to 
sacrifice ;  the  frogs  are  taken  away ;  and  Pharaoh  breaks  his 
promise. 

viii.  20-32.  III.  Flies.  These  are  sent  through  all  the  land, 
except  the  Israelite  settlement  in  Goshen.  Pharaoh  suggests 
that  they  shall  sacrifice  in  Egypt.  When  this  offer  is 
declined,  he  promises  to  let  them  leave  Eg^^^pt  to  sacrifice  ; 
the  flies  are  taken  away,  and  Pharaoh  breaks  his  promise. 

ix.  1-7  (Portions^).  IV.  Murrain.  A  plague  is  sent  on 
the  cattle  of  the  Egyptians. 

ix.  13-35.  V.  Hail.  A  hailstorm  is  sent  which  destroys 
the  vegetation ;  Pharaoh  promises  to  let  the  people  go ; 
the  storm  ceases;   and  he  recalls  his  promise. 

X.  1-20,  24-6,  28  (Portions^).  VI.  Locicsts.  Pharaoh 
is  threatened  with  a  Plague  of  locusts :  by  the  advice  of 
his  servants,  he  offers  to  let  the  men  go  alone.  Locusts 
are  sent  which  eat  up  all  the  vegetation  which  the  hail  had 
left.  Pharaoh  promises  to  let  the  people  go ;  a  wind  takes 
away  the  locusts.  Pharaoh  offers  to  let  the  people  go  with 
their  families,  but  without  their  flocks  and  herds.  Moses 
refuses ;  and  Pharaoh  bids  him  go,  and  come  again  no  more. 

^  See  notes.     ^  See  Table  B.      ^  See  this  and  following  sections. 


INTRODUCTION  21 

xi.  4-8,  xii.  29-34.  VII.  The  Death  of  the  Firstborn. 
Moses  answers  that  at  midnight  Yahweh  will  destroy  the 
firstborn  of  the  Egyptians,  but  will  spare  the  Israelites. 
The  threat  is  fulfilled,  and  Pharaoh  bids  them  go,  families, 
flocks,  and  herds.  The  Egyptians  hasten  their  departure, 
and  they  depart  without  waiting  for  their  dough  to 
become  leavened. 

xh.  37-9  (Portions^).  Accompanied  by  a  mixed  multi- 
tude the  Israelites  march  from  Rameses  to  Succoth. 

xiii  (Portions^).  The  Feast  of  Unleavened  Bread  is 
instituted.     Firstlings  belong  to  Yahweh.     Pillar  of  Fire. 

xiv  (Portions').  The  Deliverance  at  the  Red  Sea. 
Pharaoh  pursues  Israel,  and  overtakes  them  by  the  Red 
Sea.  They  murmur,  and  Moses  promises  deliverance 
from  Yahweh.  An  east  wind  drives  back  the  water,  and 
the  Israelites  cross  on  dry  land.  The  Egyptians  follow, 
but  Yahweh  harasses  them,  and  in  the  morning  the 
waters  return,  and  drown  them. 

XV.  22-5<^,  27.  They  reach  Marah,  where  Moses  sweetens 
bitter  waters.  They  come  to  Elim  and  find  springs  and 
palm-trees. 

xvii.  2)-l  (Portions  ^).  At  Massah  Moses  gives  the  people 
water  from  the  rock. 

xix.  11-22  (Portions^).  Yahweh  appears  upon  Mount 
Sinai. 

xxiv.  if.,  9-1 1  (Portions^).  Moses  and  the  Elders  of 
Israel  ascend  the  Mount  and  behold  the  God  of  Israel. 

xxxiv^  (Portions^).  Moses  is  called  up  into  the  Mount. 
Yahweh  makes  a  covenant  with  Israel,  the  terms  of  which 
are  stated  in  Ten  Words.  These  Moses  writes  on  Two 
Tables  of  Stone.  He  remains  forty  days  in  the  Mount 
with  Yahweh. 

xxxii.  25-9^.  .  .  .  The  people  having  rebelled,  the 
Levites  massacre  3,000,  and  receive  the  priesthood  as 
their  reward. 


^  See  Table  B.  2  Transposed. 


22  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

xxxiii.  1-4.  Yahweh  refuses  to  go  up  with  them  to 
Canaan. 

xxxiii.  12-23,  xxxiv.  6-9.  Yahweh  f)7'omises  that  His 
Presence  shall  go  with  Moses.  He  reveals  Himself  atid 
His  Character  to  Moses. 

{b)  Contents  of  Elohistic  Docujnent,  E.^  The  portions 
of  this  document  included  in  Exodus  are  summarized 
below.  Probably  E  included  sections  corresponding  to 
some  sections  of  J,  but  these  E  sections  have  been 
omitted  by  the  Editor  of  JE  because  of  their  similarity 
to  J.  Words  in  square  brackets  are  supplied  to  represent 
such  sections.     Italics  are  used  as  in  the  summary  of  J. 

i.  15-22.  Pharaoh  bids  the  midwives  destroy  all  the 
Hebrew  male  infants ;  when  they  disobey  him,  he  charges 
the  people  to  throw  the  male  infants  into  the  Nile. 

ii.  l-io.  Moses  is  bom ;  when  three  months  old  he  is 
exposed  in  an  ark  of  bulrushes  on  the  Nile.  He  is  found 
by  Pharaoh's  daughter,  who  brings  him  up  as  her  son. 

iii  (Portions'^).  As  Moses  is  keeping  the  flock  of  Jethro, 
his  father-in-law,  on  Horeb,  God  appears  to  him,  pro- 
mises to  deliver  Israel,  and  reveals  His  name  Yahweh. 
He  will  smite  Egypt  with  wonders  until  Pharaoh  lets  the 
people  go.     They  are  to  borrow  jewels  of  the  Egyptians. 

iv.  17  f.,  20  b.  God  gives  him  a  rod  with  which  he  is 
to  do  signs.  Having  obtained  Jethro's  permission  [he 
sets  out  for  Eg)'pt]. 

iv.  27— V.  4  (Portions^).  Aaron  joins  Moses,  and  they 
come  to  Pharaoh  and  ask  for  permission  for  Israel  to 
hold  a  feast  in  the  wilderness.     Pharaoh  refuses. 

The  Wonders. 

vii.  15-23  (Portions').  I.  The  Nile  turned  to  Blood. 
Moses  smites  the  Nile  with  his  rod ;  it  turns  to  blood; 
but  Pharaoh  remains  stubborn. 

ix.  22-35  (Portions").  II.  The  Hail.     Moses  stretches 

^  See  p.  X7.  '  See  Table  B, 


INTRODUCTION  23 

his  rod  towards  heaven,  and  hail  smites  all  the  people 
and  cattle  that  are  in  the  fields.  Pharaoh  remains 
stubborn. 

X.  12-20  (Portions^).  III.  The  Locusts.  Moses 
stretches  his  rod  over  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  locusts 
devour  all  the  vegetation.     Pharaoh  remains  stubborn. 

X.  21-3,  27.  IV.  The  Darkness.  Moses  stretches  out 
his  hand  to  heaven,  and  Egypt  is  wrapped  in  darkness 
for  three  days,  except  in  the  houses  occupied  by  the 
Israelites. 

xi.  1-3,  xii.  35  f.  V.  The Fhstborn.  Yah weh  announces 
one  final  plague.  The  Israelites  are  to  borrow  jewels  of 
the  Egyptians.  [The  firstborn  are  slain.]  The  jewels 
are  borrowed. 

xiii.  17-19.  God  leads  Israel  out  of  Egypt  by  way  of 
the  Red  Sea.  Moses  takes  the  bones  of  Joseph  with 
him. 

xiv.  7-19  (Portions^).  THE  Deliverance  at  the 
Red  Sea.  [Pharaoh]  with  600  chariots  pursues 
Israel.  Moses  lifts  up  his  rod,  the  bed  of  the  sea  is  left 
dry,  and  the  Israelites  march  over,  still  pursued  by  the 
Egyptians  ^.  The  Angel  of  God  interposes  between  Israel 
and  the  Egyptians  ^ ;  [the  latter  are  drowned  by  the  return- 
ing waters]. 

XV.  I -2 1.  The  Israelites  praise  Yah  weh  for  their 
deliverance*. 

XV.  25^.  Divine  commands  given  to  test  Israel. 

xvi.  4.  Yahweh  gives  bread  from  heaven,  with  a  com- 
mand that  a  portion  is  to  be  gathered  daily — to  test  the 
people. 

xvii  (Portions \\     At  Meribah,  Moses  gives  water  from 


'  See  Table  B. 

2  xiv.  9  a. 

*  An  ancient  lyt  ic  is  inserted  here :  see  notes  on  xv. 


"^  xiv.  9  a.  ^  xiv.  19  a, 


24  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

the  rock.  Defeat  of  Amalek.  Moses  builds  an  altar 
to  Yahweh-nissi. 

xviii  (Portions^).  Jethro  brings  Moses  his  wife  and  two 
sons ;  by  his  advice  Moses  organizes  the  administration 
of  justice. 

xix  (Portions^).  Israel  encamps  at  the  Mount.  Moses 
goes  up  to  God:  after  certain  preparations  have  been 
made,  a  trumpet  sounds,  Moses  speaks,  and  God  answers 
him. 

XX.  1 8-2 1  ^  The  people  are  terrified,  and  withdraw  to 
a  distance,  while  Moses  passes  into  the  darkness,  into 
the  Divine  Presence. 

XX.  I.  God  makes  the  following  revelations  [to  Moses]. 

XX.  2-17  (Portion^).    The  Ten  Words. 

XX.  22-xxiii.  33  (Most^).  The  Book  of  the  Cove- 
nant, containing  laws  as  to  Images  and  Altars  ;  Hebrew 
Slaves ;  Injuries  to  the  Person  ;  Offences  against  Pro- 
perty ;  Various  Ritual  and  Moral  Offences  ;  Festivals,  &c., 
with  a  Concluding  Exhortation, 

xxiv.  3-8.  Moses  delivers  these  revelations  to  the 
people,  and  they  enter  into  a  covenant  with  Yahweh. 

xxiv.  12-15  rt!,  i8<^,  Moses  and  Joshua  go  up  into  the 
Mount  to  Yahweh,  leaving  Aaron  and  Hur  in  charge  of 
the  people.     Moses  remains  in  the  Mount  forty  days. 

xxxi.  18^— xxxii  (Portions^),  xxxiii.  6.  [God  gives 
Moses]  tables  of  stone,  with  inscriptions  written  by  the 
finger  of  God. 

In  Moses'  absence  the  Israelites  induce  Aaron  to  make 
an  image  of  Yahweh  in  the  form  of  a  calf.  They  hold  a 
festival  in  honour  of  Yahweh.  As  Moses  descends  with 
the  tables  he  discovers  what  is  going  on,  and  in  his 
anger  throws  down  the  tables  and  breaks  them.  He 
destroys  the  image.  Yahweh  punishes  the  people  by  a 
plague.     The  people  put  off  their  ornaments. 


See  Table  B.  -  Transposed. 


INTRODUCTION  25 

xxxiii.  7- 1 1.  The  Tent  of  Meeting  used  to  be  pitched 
without  the  camp,  and  there  Aloses  used  to  commune 
with  Yahweh.     Joshua  was  the  custodian  of  the  Tent. 

(c)  Contents  of  the  Priestly  Doctiinent,  P.^  The  sections 
of  this  document  contained  in  Exodus  are  summarized 
below.  Some  of  the  Secondary  Sacerdotal  passages,  S, 
are  added  in  italics ;  italics  are  also  used  for  the  headings 
of  the  Plagues. 

i.  1-7.  List  of  the  sons  of  Israel.  The  Israelites 
multiply  rapidly. 

I.  13  f.  The  Egyptians  oppress  the  Israelites  with 
forced  labour. 

ii.  23(^-25.  The  Israehtes  appeal  to  God.  He  hears 
them. 

vi.  2-12.  God  reveals  His  Name,  Yahweh,  to  Moses, 
and  promises  to  deliver  Israel.  Moses  tells  the  people, 
but  they  will  not  beheve  him.  He  bids  Moses  appeal 
to  Pharaoh,  but  Moses  objects  that  he  is  'of  uncir- 
cumcised  lips.' 

vi.  13-30.  Gefiealogy  of  Retibe7i,  Levi,  Aaron,  and 
Moses, 

vii.  1-13.  God  replies  that  Aaron  shall  be  Moses' 
prophet  and  speak  as  Moses  instructs  him.  Moses  is 
eighty  and  Aaron  eighty-three. 

The  Wonders. 

I.  TJie  Rod  turned  to  a  Se7-pe7it.  At  Yahweh's  bidding 
Moses  and  Aaron  appear  before  Pharaoh.  Aaron's  rod 
becomes  a  serpent ;  the  magicians  do  likewise,  but 
Aaron's  serpent  swallows  up  theirs.  Yet  Pharaoh  remains 
stubborn. 

II.  All  the  Waters  of  Egypt  turned  to  Blood,  vii.  19, 
20a,  2\b,  22.  Aaron  with  his  rod  turns  the  waters  of 
Egypt  to  blood ;  the  magicians  do  hkewise.  Pharaoh 
remains  stubborn. 

III.  The  Frogs,  viii.    5-7,   15^.    Aaron  with  his   rod 

^  See  p.  17. 


26  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

brings  up  frogs  ;  the  magicians  do  likewise ;  Pharaoh 
remains  stubborn. 

IV.  The  Lice,  viii.  16-19.  Aaron  with  his  rod  turns  all 
the  dust  of  Egypt  into  lice.  The  magicians  own  that  this 
is  the  finger  of  God ;  yet  Pharaoh  remains  stubborn. 

V.  The  Pestile7ice,  ix.  8-1 2.  Moses  scatters  ashes  to 
heaven,  and  they  become  boils  on  man  and  beast.  The 
magicians,  being  afflicted  with  this  disease,  withdraw ; 
Pharaoh  remains  stubborn. 

VI.  The  Firstborn,  xii.  1-20,  24,  28.  The  Institution 
of  the  Passover.  The  announcement  of  the  coming 
destruction  of  the  Firstborn.  The  Israelites  observe  the 
first  passover  as  instructed. 

xii.  40-2.    The*  Sojourning  in  Egypt  lasted  ^2^  years. 
xii.  43-50.  Further  instructions  about  the  Passover. 
[The  Destruction  of  the  Firstborn.] 
xii.  51.    The  Israelites  leave  Egypt, 
xiii.   I,  2.    The    Firstborn    of  man    and   beast  to   be 
dedicated  to  Yahweh. 

xiv  (Portions  1).   THE  DELIVERANCE  AT  THE  RED  SEA. 

Yahweh  bids  Israel  encamp  by  the  Red  Sea,  and  sends 
Pharaoh  in  pursuit  of  them.  He  overtakes  them,  Moses 
stretches  out  his  hand  over  the  sea,  and  it  becomes  dry 
land.  The  Israelites  cross  over,  and  the  Egyptians 
pursue  them,  Moses  again  stretches  out  his  hand,  and 
the  waters  return  and  drown  the  Eg^'ptians. 

xvi.  1-21  (Portions^).  Israel  comes  to  the  Wilderness 
of  Sin.  Provisions  run  short,  and  the  people  murmur. 
Yahweh  sends  quails  and  manna.  Moses  bids  them  leave 
nothing  of  one  day's  gathering  till  the  next  morning. 
Yet  some  is  kept,  and  it  breeds  worms  and  stinks. 

xvi.  22-30.  But  on  the  sixth  day  they  jnust  gather  a 
double  portion,  and  none  on  the  Sabbath. 

xvi.  31-5.   A  pot  of  the  manna  is  kept  before  the  Ark". 


^   See  Table  P>.  '^  See  notes. 


INTRODUCTION  27 

xvii.  I.  xix.  I,  2a.  The  Israelites  journey  to  Rephidim 
and  to  Sinai. 

xxiv.  16-18  rt.  The  Glory  of  Yahweh  rests  upon  Mount 
Sinai  for  six  days.  On  the  seventh  day  Yahweh  calls 
Moses  up  to  Himself. 

xxv-xxxi.  (Portions^).  Yahweh  gives  Moses  directions 
as  to  the  Tabernacle,  its  Furniture,  the  Priestly  Vest- 
ment, the  Consecration  of  Aaron  and  his  Sons,  /^e 
Sabbathy  &c.  He  gives  Moses  the  Two  Tables  of  the 
Testimony. 

xxxiv.  29-33.  When  Moses  comes  down  from  Mount 
Sinai  his  face  shines.  When  he  has  told  the  people  the 
Divine  commands,  he  puts  on  a  veil. 

xxxiv.  34  f.  He  makes  a  practice  of  wearing  this  veil^ 
except  when  he  is  comtnunicating  Divine  conunands  to  the 
people. 

XXXV.  1-3.   The  Sabbath  is  to  be  observed. 

XXXV.  4 — xl.  Moses  and  the  people  carry  out  .the  Divine 
instructions  as  to  the  Tabernacle,  &^c.,  &^c.  When  all  the 
portions ,  ftirniture ^  &^c.y  &^c.,  are  fi7iished  they  set  up  the 
Tabernacle,  and  the  Glory  of  Yahweh  rests  upon  it. 

Vin.  How  FAR  AND  WITH  WHAT  DEGREE  OF  CER- 
TAINTY THE  CONTENTS  OF  EXODUS  CAN  BE 
ASSIGNED  TO  THEIR   ORIGINAL   SOURCES. 

We  have  explained-  that  Exodus  was  compiled  from 
earlier  works  by  a  series  of  editings.  None  of  these 
works  survive,  except  so  far  as  portions  of  them  are 
contained  in  Exodus  and  other  works  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. Clearly  it  was  a  difficult  task  to  determine  from 
which  original  document  or  editor  each  section  of  our 
book  was  taken  ;  indeed,  it  is  a  task  which  can  never 
be  fully  accomplished.  Nevertheless  the  devoted  labours 
of  Christian  scholars  during  more  than  a  century  has 
accomplished  much.     There  is  very  general  agreement 


'  See  Table  B.  '  See  pp.  15  AT. 


28  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

as  to  which  portions  were  composed  by  the  Priestly 
Writers ;  and  we  can  often  assign  sections  with  compara- 
tive certainty  to  the  Primitive  or  the  Elohistic  Document, 
as  the  case  may  be.  But  in  many  passages  the  division 
of  the  contents  between  the  Primitive  and  the  Elohistic 
Documents  cannot  be  made  with  any  confidence.  It  is 
quite  clear  that  certain  phrases  or  sentences  belong  to 
the  one,  and  that  certain  other  phrases  or  sentences  belong 
to  the  other,  but  there  is  a  third  set  which  might  perfectly 
well  belong  to  either.  Hence,  in  many  cases,  the  analysis 
given  in  the  text,  in  the  summary,  and  in  the  tables, 
where  it  refers  to  J  and  E,  is  only  a  probable  and  ap- 
proximate solution  of  a  stubborn  problem,  and  not  a  certain 
result  which  has  been  determined  with  detailed  accuracy. 
Such  analysis,  however,  fairly  represents  the  Vv^ay  in 
which  our  present  book  has  been  compiled.  If  we  had 
a  full  knowledge  of  the  facts,  we  should  find  that  the 
actual  process  of  composition  had  been  more  elaborate 
and  complicated  than  is  indicated  by  the  division  of  the 
text  in  the  present  volume. 

Happily  the  method  of  composition  of  the  Pentateuch 
can  be  illustrated  by  a  comparison  of  some  Biblical  books 
with  others.  Amongst  the  sources  of  Chronicles  were 
sections  now  found  in  Kings ,  Saimiel^  &c. ;  Matthew  and 
Luke  were  partly  compiled  from  Mark ;  and  2  Peter  from 
Jiide.  A  comparison  of  parallel  passages  will  show  the  use  of 
the  method  which  has  been  shown  to  be  followed  for  the 
Pentateuch,  viz.,  borrowing  word  for  word,  modified  by 
editorial  addition,  omission,  and  alteration.  The  editorial 
work  is  fully  as  elaborate  and  minute  as  that  illustrated 
by  the  analysis  of  the  Pentateuch. 

Take,  for  instance,  the  following  passage,  2  Chron.  xxxiv. 
14-21.  The  portions  in  ordinaiy  type  are  taken  word  for 
word  from  2  Kings  xxii.  8-13;  the  words  in  italics  are 
additions  made  by  the  authors  or  editors  of  Chro?ncles ; 
dots  indicate  a  simple  omission  of  something  from 
Kings '.  — 


INTRODUCTION  29 

And  when  they  brought  out  the  money  that  luas  brought 
into  the  House  of  Yah^ueh,  Hillziah  the  -priest  found  the 
book  of  the  law  of  Yahiveh given  by  Moses.  And  Hilkiah 
answered  and  sdJ[d  to  Shaphan  the  scribe,  'I  have  found 
the  book  of  the  law  in  the  House  of  Yahweh.'  And 
Hilkiah  dehvered  the  book  to  Shaphan.  .  .  .  And  Shaphan 
carried  the  book  to  the  king,  and  moreover  brought  the 
king  word  again,  sayings  '  All  that  was  committed  to  thy 
servants,  they  do  it.  And  they  have  emptied  out  the 
money  that  was  found  in  the  House  of  Yahweh,  and  have 
delivered  it  into  the  hands  of  the  overseers  .  .  .  and  into 
the  hand  of  the  workmen.^  And  Shaphan  the  scribe  told 
the  king,  saying,  '  Hilkiah  the  priest  hath  delivered  me 
a  book ' ;  and  Shaphan  read  therein  before  the  king.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  when  the  king  had  heard  the  words  .  .  . 
of  the  law,  that  he  rent  his  clothes.  And  the  king  com- 
manded Hilkiah  .  .  .  and  Ahikam  the  son  of  Shaphan, 
and  Abdon  the  son  oi Micah,  and  Shaphan  the  scribe,  and 
Asaiah  the  king's  servant,  saying,  Go  ye,  inquire  of 
Yahweh  for  me,  and  for  them  that  are  left  i7i  Israel  and 
in  Judah,  concerning  the  words  of  the  book  that  is  found  : 
for  great  is  the  wrath  of  Yahweh  that  \s  poured  out  upofi 
us,  because  our  fathers  have  not  kept  the  word  of  Yahweh^ 
to  do  according  unto  all  that  is  written  in  this  book. 


TABLES. 
A.    Symbols. 


The  various  documents,  &;c.,  are  denoted  by  the  following 
symbols,  which  are  inserted  in  square  brackets  in  the  R.V. 
text,  pp.  41  ff.,  e.g.  [P],  at  the  beginning  of  each  section 
of  a  document.  Also  the  document  or  documents  from  which 
the  contents  of  a  page  were  taken  are  indicated  at  the  top  of 
each  page,  e.g.  P,  or  PJE,  &c. 

J,  The  Primitive  Document  (or  Yahwistic  or  Jehovistic 
Document),  see  pp.  17,  19  ff. 


30  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

E.  The  early  Elohistic  Document,  see  pp.  17,  22  fT. 

L.  The  Lyric,  Exodus  xv.  1-19. 

R.  Additions  made  by  pre-exilic  editors  to  either  J  or  E ; 
or  contributions  from  the  editor  who  combined  J  and  E  into 
a  single  work ;  or  further  editorial  additions  to  the  combined 
or  Twofold  Document  JE,  see  pp.  16  f. 

D.  Additions  made  after  b.  c.  600  to  either  J,  or  E,  or  JE, 
by  editors  writing  in  spirit  of,  or  under  the  influence  of, 
Deuteronomy,  see  pp.  16  f. 

These  are  often  denoted  by  R^^  or  D^. 

P.  The  Priestly  Document,  or  later  Elohistic  Document, 
see  pp.  17,  25  f. 

S.  Secondary  Sacerdotal  passages,  including  later  additions 
to  P  (often  denoted  by  P  ,  P^,  &c.)  ;  contributions  of  the 
editor  who  combined  P  with  the  earlier  documents  (usually 
denoted  by  R^) ;  and  other  editorial  additions  from  priestly 
hands  or  sources. 

Remarks  (a).  When  an  incident  is  only  found  in  one  or 
more  of  the  documents,  and  not  in  the  others,  it  is  sometimes 
possible  that  it  was  contained  originally  in  the  latter  docu- 
ment or  documents,  but  that  this  version  or  these  versions 
of  it  have  been  omitted  from  the  combined  work  to  avoid 
repetition.  Thus,  for  instance,  J  probably  had  an  account  of 
the  birth  of  Moses,  but  this  was  so  similar  to  E's  account 
that  the  compiler  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  insert  any 
portion  of  it. 

(b)  In  the  following  Tables  B  and  C  the  items  in  heavy  type 
under  J  and  E  belong  to  R ;  under  P  to  S.  The  items  in 
heavy  type  and  in  square  brackets  under  J  and  E  belong  to 
D.  e.  g.  [31  6-33],  on  p.  32. 

These  secondary  sections  are  placed  in  the  columns  con- 
taining the  primary  sections  with  which  they  seem  most 
closely  connected  :  many  of  the  R  sections  were  added  to 
J  and  E  while  they  were  still  separate  works ;  others  were 
added  to  the  combined  work  JE.  It  is  not  easy  to  distin- 
guish between  these  two  classes  of  additions. 


INTRODUCTION 


B.  Of  the  Analysis. 

(a;    I— XXIV. 


J 

E 

P 

with  i?  and  [Dy 

with  R  and  [D]  ^ 

with  S 1 

i.  6,  8-12. 

i.  15-22. 

i-  1-5,  7,  13  f- 

ii.  ii-asa. 

ii.  i-io. 

ii.  236-25. 

iii.  2-4rt,    5,    7-9a,    iii.  i,  46,  6,  96-13, 

16-18. 

14»  15)  i9»  20  ff. 

iv.    1-12,     13-16, 

iv.   I7f.,  206,    21- 

19,     20a,     24-36,       23,  27  f. 

29-31. 

V.  3,  5-23- 

V.  if.,  4. 

vi.  I. 

vi.  2-ia,  13-30. 

vii.     14,     16,    170, 

vii.    15,     176,    206, 

vii.  1-13,   19,  2o«, 

18,  2 1  a,  24  f. 

23- 

216,  22. 

viii.      1-4,     8-i5rt, 

viii.5-7, 156, 16-19. 

20-32. 

ix.  1-7,  13,  14-17, 

ix.    22,    23fl,    24a, 

ix.  8-12,  356. 

18,     19-21,    23b, 

25«,  35«- 

24b,           256-290, 

296-32,  33  f. 

X.  irt,  [16,  2],3-ii, 

X.  12, 13a,  14a,  156, 

136,    146,    15a,   c, 

20-23,  27. 

16-19,  24-26,  28  f. 

xi.  4-8. 

xi.  1-3. 

xi.  gt 

xii.    21-23,     [25- 

xii.  35  f. 

xii.    1-20,    24,    28, 

271,    29-34,    37(T, 

376,  40-42,   43- 

38  f. 

51- 

xiii.3rt,36,4,5,6,7,  !  xiii.  17-19. 

xiii.  I  f.,  20. 

[8  f.],  10-13,  [14- 

16],  21  f. 

xiv.  5  f.,  9a,  b,  loa, 

xiv.  7a,  b,  10b,  150, 

xiv.  1-4,  8,  gc,  156, 

11-14,     196,    206, 

i6rt,  19a,  20a. 

166-18,  2ia,C,  22f., 

216,  24 f.,  276,  286, 

26,  27a,  28a,  29. 

30,  31. 

1  XV.  22-25a,  27. 

XV.     {Lyric     1-19), 
20  f.,  256,  26. 

xvi.  4. 

xvi.  1-3,  5,  6-7,  8, 
9-21,  22-30,  31- 

1 

1 

S5,  36. 

'   See  Remark  {b)  on  previous  page. 


^^ 


THE    BOOK  OF   EXODUS 


J,  &c. 

E,  &c. 

P,  &c. 

xvii.  3,  7a,  c. 

xvii.  16,  2,  4-6,  76, 
8-13,  14,  15  f. 

xviii.     1-7,    8-11, 
12-27. 

xvii.  la. 

xix.    36,     ii6-i3a. 

xix.  26,  3a,  4-6nf. 

XIX.  I,  2a. 

18,  20-22,  23-25. 

6b-ga,       9b-10a, 
lob-iia,  136,  14- 
17,  19. 

XX.    i-4«,    [46-6], 

XX.    II. 

7-10,  I2-22a,  226, 

23,  24-26. 

XXI,  XXII. 

xxiii.  1-22,  23-27, 

28-3irt,  [316-33]. 

xxiv.  1  f.,  9-1 1. 

xxiv.  3-8,   i2-i5a, 

xxiv.  i56-i8rt. 

186. 

(6)  XXV— XXXI.  i8a  P  with  S  K 
XXV,  xxvi,  xxvii.  1-19,  20f.,  xxviii.  1-25,  26-28,  29-40,  41. 
xxix.  1-20,  21,  22-32,  33,  34-37,  38-42,  xxx,xxxi.  1-17,  i8a. 


(c)  XXXI.  186— XXXV.    r-3. 


J,  &c. 

E,  &c. 

P,  &c. 

xxxi.   186. 

xxxu.  25-29. 

xxxii.    1-6,    7-14, 

xxxii.  156. 

xxxiii.  1-4,  12-23. 

I5rt,     16-24,    30- 
34,  35. 
xxxiii.  5,  6-1 1. 

xxxiv.     1-5,     6-9, 
10a,   106-13,   14, 
15  f.,  17,  i8a,  186, 

xxxiv.  29-33,  34  f. 

19-23,    24,     25a, 
256,  26-28. 

XXXV.  1-3. 

(d)  XXXV.  4— XL.  5. 


^  See  Remark  (6). 


INTRODUCTION 


33 


C.  Comparative  Table  of  Chief  Contents  of  the 
Three  Main  Documents. 

Only  complete  sections  are  shown  ;  where  independent 
accounts  have  been  pieced  together  to  form  a  continuous 
narrative,  they  are  given  under  a  single  heading,  which  is 
printed  across  the  columns  belonging  to  the  documents  from 
which  these  accounts  are  taken,  e.  g.  '  Deliverance  at  the 
Red  Sea.' 

Where  different  documents  give  separate  complete  accounts, 
the  title  is  printed  separately  in  each  column  or  set  of  columns, 
e.  g.  '  Yahweh  appears  on  Sinai.' 


I  E  P 

with  R  and  [_D]  >    I   with  R  and  [D] '    \  with  S' 


i.  1-5.     Account  of 
the      Family      of 
Jacob, 
i.  6-22 ;  ii.  236-25.  The  Oppression  of  the  Israelites  in  Egypt. 


ii.  i-io.    Birth  and 
Childhood  of 

Moses. 


ii.  ii-23rt.    Moses' 

flight   to    Midian, 

his  marriage, 

death  of  Pharaoh, 
iii.  I-  iv.  28.     Yahweh  reveals  Himself 

to  Moses  and  sends  him  to  Egypt  to 

deliver  Israel,  giving  him  Aaron  as  a 

spokesman. 


IV.    29 — VI.    I. 

to    Pharaoh, 
worse, 
vii.  14 — X.  II. 


VI.    2-12,   vn.    1-5. 
Yahweh     reveals 
Himself  to  Moses 
and  bids  him  de- 
liver Israel,  giving 
him   Aaron   as    a 
spokesman, 
vi.    13-30.    Genea- 
logies. 
vii.    6-13.      Moses 
and  Aaron  appeal 
in  vain  to  Pharaoh. 
Yahweh  afflicts  Egypt  with  Plagues, 
xi.    1-3,    xii.    35  f. 
At  the  bidding  of 
Yahweh    the    Is- 
raelites borrow  of 
the  Egyptians. 


Moses  and  Aaron  appeal 
but  only  make   matters 


1  See  Remark  (6)  p.  30. 
D 


34 


IHE   BOOK   OV   EXODUS 


C.    Comparative  Table,  etc.  {cont.). 


J,  &c. 

E,  &c. 

P,  Sec. 

xi.  4 — xii.  34.   The 

destruction  of  the 

Firstborn  and  the 

institution  of  the 
Passover. 

xii.     37 — xiii.     16. 

The  departure  from 

Egypt,        further 

laws  as  to  the 
Passover. 

xiii.  17— XV.  21.     The  Deliverance  at  the  Red  Sea.                 | 

XV.  22-7.    From  the  Red  Sea  to  Elim. 

xvi.     I,    xvii.     ifl. 

From      Elim      to 

Rephidim. 

xvi.  4.  The  Manna. 

xvi.  2-3,  5-36.  The 
Manna  and  the 
Quails. 

xvii.  16-7.     Water  from  the  Rock  at  : 

Massah                        Meribah 

xvii.  8 — xviii.    De- 

xix.   i-aa.      From 

feat    of    Amalek. 

Rephidim  to  Sinai. 

Visit  of  Jethro. 

xix.  26-25.     Yahv^reh  appears  on  Sinai. 

xxiv.  156-17.  Yah- 

weh    appears    on 

Sinai. 

XX — xxiii.  The  Ten 

Words.  The  Book 

of  the  Covenant. 

xxiv.     if.,      9-1 1. 

xxiv.  3-8,   i2-i5a, 

xxiv.     1 8a.    Moses 

Mosesand  his  com- 

186.    The    Cove- 

goes up  the  Mount 

panions  ascend  the 

nant.  Mosesleaves 

to  Yahweh. 

Mount  and  behold 

Aaron  and  Hur  in 

XXV.   I — xxxi.   iQa, 

the  God  of  Israel. 

charge      of      the 

Instructions  as  to 

people  ;    goes   up 

the      construction 

the  Mount  again, 

of  the  Tabernacle, 

and  remains  there 

its  furniture,  &c., 

forty  days. 

the  Priestly  Vest- 
ments,   the    Con- 
secration of  Aaron 
and   his   sons,  the 
Altar  of  Incense, 
Censer,         Laver,  ! 
Anointing        Oil, 
Incense,    the   Sab- 

INTRODUCTION 


35 


C.    Comparative  Tables,  etc.  {cont.). 


J,  &c. 


xxxii.  25-29.  The 
Levites  obtain  the 
priesthood  by 
massacring  3,000 
rebels. 

xxxiii.  1-4,  12-23, 
xxxiv.  6-9.  Yah- 
iveh  reveals  Him- 
self to  Moses. 

xxxiv.  1-26.  Moses 
ascends  the  Mount. 
The  Ten  Words. 

xxxiv.  27  f.  Moses 
remains  forty  days 
in  the  Mount.  He 
receives  the  Ta- 
bles. 


E,  &c. 


xxxi.  iQb.  Moses 
receives  the  Two 
Tables. 

xxxii.  1-24,  30-34, 

35... 
xxxiii.  5,  6.     The 
Golden  Calf. 

xxxiii.  7-11.  The 
Tent  of  Meeting. 


P,  &c. 


bath.  Moses  re- 
ceives the  Two 
Tables. 


xxxiv.  29-33,  34  f. 
The  Veilon  Moses' 
Face. 


XXXV.     1-3.       The 

Sabbath. 
XXXV.  4 — xl.  Beza- 
lel  and  Oholiab 
construct  the  Ta- 
bernacle and  its 
furniture  and  the 
Priestly  Vestments. 
The  Tabernacle  is 
set  up,  Aaron  and 
his  sons  are  conse- 
crated, and  the 
Glory  of  Yahiveh 
fills  the  Tabernacle. 


D    2 


36  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 


D.    The  Chief  Texts  and  Versions  \ 

Massoreiic  Texi^  often  denoted  by  the  abbreviation  MT.  The 
Jewish  edition  of  the  Hebrew  text  of  the  Old  Testament, 
This  text  is  derived  from  Jewish  manuscripts  not  older  than 
A.  D.  800 -,  and  is  the  Textus  Receptus  or  Received  Text 
printed  in  Hebrew  Bibles. 

Samaritan  Text,  or  Samaritan  Pentateuch,  the  Samaritan 
edition  of  the  Hebrew  Text  of  the  Pentateuch,  written  in 
a  form  of  the  ancient  Hebrew  character.  It  is  derived  from 
manuscripts  obtained  from,  or  held  by,  the  Samaritans.  These 
manuscripts  are  of  uncertain  date  ;  but  their  claims  to  be  very 
ancient  are  unfounded  ;  probably  they  are  not  so  old  as  some 
of  the  copies  of  the  Massoretic  Text.  This  text  or  Pentateuch 
is  to  be  carefully  distinguished  from  the  Samaritan  Version  of 
the  Pentateuch,  a  translation  into  the  Samaritan  dialect  of 
Aramaic. 

Septnagint.  The  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  into 
Greek ;  the  oldest  manuscripts  of  this  version  belong  to  the 
Fourth  Century  a.  d.  The  different  books  in  this  version 
were  not  all  translated  at  the  same  time  ;  the  Pentateuch  was 
translated  first,  probably  between  b.  c.  250  and  b.  c.  100.  This 
version  is  often  denoted  by  the  symbol  LXX. 

Syriac  Version.  The  oldest  extant  Syriac  Version  was 
made  somewhere  between  a.  d.  100  and  a.  d.  300 ;  largely 
under  the  influence  of  the  Septuagint. 

Vulgate,  a  revision  of  older  Latin  Versions  made  by  Jerome 
about  A.  D.  400.  The  older  Latin  Versions  were  translations 
from  the  Septuagint,  which  Jerome  carefully  revised  from 
the  Hebrew. 

^  See  further  Genesis,  pp.  40  ff. 
'■*  See,  however,  on  xx.  i-ao. 


INTRODUCTION  37 


E.    Literature  ^ 

A  list  of  the  more  important  works  to  which  the  author  has 
been  chiefly  indebted  ;  occasional  references  to  some  others 
will  be  found  in  the  body  of  the  book.  Works  which  are 
referred  to  under  an  abbreviation  or  a  single  name  are  placed 
here  under  that  name  or  abbreviation. 

Bacon,  B.  W.,  Triple  Traditio>i  oj  the  Exodus.  Hartford, 
Student  Publishing  Co.,  1894. 

Baentsch,  B.,  Exodus- Levitiais.  GOttingen,  Vandenhoeck 
and  Ruprecht,  1900. 

BDB.,  Hebrew  and  English  Lexicon,  Brown,  Driver  and 
Briggs.     Clarendon  Press,  1906. 

DB.,  Dr.  Hastings'  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.  T.  &  T.  Clark  : 
cf.  Kennedy. 

Drivlr,  S.  R.,  Introd.  to  the  Lit.  of  the  O.  T.  T.  &  T. 
Clark. 

EB.,  Encyclopaedia  Biblica,  Dr.  Cheyne  and  Dr.  J.  S. 
Black.    A.  &  C.  Black. 

Erman,  a.,  Life  in  Ancient  Egypt.  Eng.  tr.  Mac- 
millan,  1894. 

HoLziNGER,  H.,  Exodus.     Tubingen,  J.  C.  B.  Mohr,  1900. 

Jeremias,  a.,  Dos  Alte  Testament  int  Lichte  des  Alien 
Orients.     Leipzig,  Hinrichs,  1904. 

Jeremias,  J.,  Moses  und  Hantniiirabi.  Leipzig,  Hinrichs, 
1903. 

Johns,  C.  H.  W.,  The  Oldest  Code  of  Laws.  T.  &  T.  Clark, 
1903. 

Keil  AND  Delitzsch,  Pentateuch.     Eng.  tr.,  1874. 

Kennedy,  A.  R.  S.,  articles  on  Tabernacle  and  allied  sub- 
jects in  DB. 

Meyer,  E.,  Die  Israeliten  ttnd  Hire  Nachbarstdntnte.  Halle, 
Niemeyer,  1906. 

Oxford  Hexateuch,  J.  Estlin  Carpenter  and  G.  Harford- 
Battersby.     Longmans,  1900. 


*  Cf.  Genesis,  p.  63. 


38  THE   BOOK   OF   EXODUS 

Procksh,  O.,  Die  Elohiniquelle.    Leipzig,  Hinrichs,  1906. 

Ryssel,  v.,  revision  of  A.  Dillmann's  Exodus  uttd  Leviii 
ciis.     Leipzig,  Herzel,  1897. 

ScHRADER,  E.,  Die  Keilinsclirifteii  tind  das  Alte  Tesiatnent, 
Third  Edn.,  re-written  by  H.  Zimmern  and  H.  Winckler. 
Berlin,  Reuther  and  Reichard,  1903. 

Smith,  W.  Robertson,  Religion  of  the  Seinites.  A.  &  C. 
Black,   1904. 

WiNXKLER,  H.,  Die  Gesetze  Hammttmbis.  Leipzig,  J.  C. 
Hinrichs,  1903. 


THE   BOOK  OF   EXODUS 

REVISED  VERSION   WITH   ANNOTATIONS 


THE   BOOK  OF  EXODUS 

[P]  Now  these  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Israel,  l 
which  came  into  Egypt ;  every  man  and  his  household 

i.  The  Bondage  in  Egypt. 

(Compiled  from  P,  J,  and  E.) 

A'^^. — For  the  explanation  of  these  and  other  initials  see  p.  29. 

i.  1-5  (P),  Names  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  and  the  number  of  his 
family,  seventy  in  all. 

6  (J).    The  Twelve  Patriarchs  die. 

7  (P).    The  Israelites  become  numerous  and  prosperous. 

8-12  (J).  A  new  Pharaoh,  'who  knew  not  Joseph,'  is  alarmed 
at  the  increase  of  the  Israelites  ;  he  subjects  them  to  the  corvee,  in 
order  to  keep  them  in  check.  They  build  Pithom  and  Raamses ; 
but  continue  to  increase.  The  Egyptians  are  more  and  more 
alarmed. 

13,  14  (P).  The  Egyptians  oppress  the  Israelites  by  subjecting 
them  to  the  corvee. 

15-22  (E,  except  20  which  =  R).  Pharaoh  calls  the  two  midwives 
attending  Hebrew  women,  and  bids  them  kill  all  the  male  children 
that  are  born.  They  disobey  him,  and  excuse  themselves  by 
a  falsehood.  God  rewards  them  with  prosperity.  Pharaoh  now 
charges  his  people  generally  to  drown  all  male  children  born  to 
the  Israelites. 

According  to  Josephus ',  the  Israelites  dug  canals,  embanked 
rivers,  fortified  cities,  and  built  pyramids;  and  the  Oppression 
lasted  400  years.  The  more  active  persecution  of  the  Israelites 
was  due  to  a  prediction  of  a  soothsayer,  or  according  to  the 
Targum  of  Jonathan,  of  Jannes  and  Jambres,  that  an  Israelite 
child  would  be  born  who  would  bring  disaster  on  Egypt  and 
deliver  Israel. 

Sources,  &c.  Cf.  pp.  15  ff.  There  are  repetitions  and  prima 
facie  inconsistencies  which  indicate  that  this  chapter  has  been 
compiled  from  various  documents.  The  enacting  of  forced  labour 
from  the  Israelites  is  stated  both  in  verse  11  and  verses  13  and  14. 
Again,  two  midwives  would   not  suffice  for  the   mighty  people 

^  Ant.  11.  ix.  2. 


42  EXODUS  1.  2-7.     P  J  P 

2  came  with  Jacob.     Reuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  and  Judah  ; 
,  4  Issachar,  Zebulun,  and  Benjamin  ;   Dan  and  Naphtali, 

5  Gad  and  Asher.  And  all  the  souls  that  came  out  of  the 
loins  of  Jacob  were  seventy  souls  :  and  Joseph  was  in 

6  Egypt  already.     [J]  And  Joseph  died,  and  all  his  breth- 

7  ren,  and  all  that  generation.  [P]  And  the  children  of 
Israel  were  fruitful,  and  increased  abundantly,  and  multi- 
plied, and  waxed  exceeding  mighty ;  and  the  land  was 
filled  with  them. 

described  in  verses  7  and  9.  These  and  other  minor  points  might 
not  in  themselves  be  sufficient  to  indicate  composition  from 
sources  ;  but  as  we  know  that  elsewhere  the  narratives  of  the 
Pentateuch  are  taken  from  three  sources  or  groups  of  sources 
commonly  denoted  by  J,  E,  P,  we  may  regard  these  repetitions, 
&c.,  as  indications  of  the  presence  of  two  or  more  of  these  sources 
here.  What  is  true  of  this  chapter  also  applies  to  other  passages 
where  there  are  only  slight  marks  of  composite  authorship. 

Verses  1-5,  7,  13,  14  are  connected  with  the  Priestly  Code,  P, 
by  style  and  choice  of  words;  and  by  similarity  to  a  passage  in 
Genesis  ascribed  to  P'.  The  Divine  Name,  'God,'  in  verse  17 
suggests  the  Elohistic  Document,  E  ;  and  the  third  source,  appa- 
rently present  in  verses  6,  8-12,  will  naturally  be  the  Primitive 
Document,  J. 

This  chapter,  therefore,  introduces  us  to  one  point,  which  is 
commonly  held  to  distinguish  the  Primitive  and  the  Elohtstic 
Documents,  or — using  symbols — J  and  E.  In  J,  Israel  is  very 
numerous,  living  apart  in  Goshen  ;  in  E,  Israel  is  a  comparatively 
small  tribe  living  amongst  the  Egyptians.  Thus  in  verses  15-22 
two  midwives  suffice  for  the  tribe. 

Neither  the  space  nor  the  plan  of  this  work  allows  us  to  go  into 
detail  as  to  the  linguistic  characteristics  of  the  sources  ;  and  wc 
may  say  here  once  for  all  that  the  division  of  the  text  between  the 
sources  is  partly  based  on  language  ;  so  that  such  statements  need 
not  be  continually  repeated. 

2-4.  The  order  of  the  names  in  these  verses  is  the  same  as  that 
in  Gen.  xxxv.  23-5,  P.  > 

5.  seventy.      The  Septuagint  has  'seventy- five,'  see  also  the  ^ 
parallel  passage  Gen.  xlvi.  27,  P,  where  also  the  Hebrew  Text 
has  'seventy,'  and  the  Septuagint  'seventy-five.' 

7.  the  land,  i.  e.  Egypt. 

*  See  note  on  verses  2-4. 


EXODUS   1.  8-1 1.     J  43 

[J]  Now  there  arose  a  new  king  over  Egypt,  which  8 
knew  not  Joseph.     And  he  said  unto  his  people,  Behold,  9 
the   people   of  the   children  of  Israel  are   '^  more   and 
mightier  than  we  :  come,  let  us  deal  wisely  with  them ;  10 
lest  they  multiply,  and  it  come  to  pass,  that,  when  there 
falleth  out  any  war,  they  also  join  themselves  unto  our 
enemies,  and   fight  against   us,  and   get   them  up   out 
of  the  land.     Therefore  they  did  set  over  them  task-  n 
masters  to  afflict  them  with  their  burdens.     And  they 
^  Or,  too  many  and  too  mighty  for  us 

8.  a  new  king*,  the  writer  is  apparently  not  acquainted  with 
his  name  ;  nor  does  he  give  us  elsewhere  the  names  of  any  of  the 
Egyptian  kings  to  whom  he  refers.  Pharaoh  is  not  a  name  but 
a  title.  This  feature  of  the  book  points  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
document  is  separated  by  a  considerable  interval  from  the  events 
it  describes.  On  the  other  hand,  it  shows  that  we  are  dealing  with 
genuine,  simple-minded  traditions,  for  the  post-biblical  Jewish 
literature  invents  names  where  they  are  lacking. 

This  'new  king,'  the  '  Pharaoh  of  the  Oppression,'  is  variously 
identified  with  some  otherwise  unknown  Rameses  prior  to  the 
eighteenth  dynasty,  i.e.  before  b.c.  1587  or  with  Rameses  II, 
B.C.  1300-1234^,  &c.,  &c. 

knew  not  Josepli  need  not  mean  'never  heard  of  Joseph,'  but 
*  had  no  experience  or  appreciation  of  his  character  and  achieve- 
ments,' and  therefore  did  not  take  any  friendly  interest  in 
Joseph's  kinsfolk. 

9.  more  and  mlgrMier  than  we,  the  R.V.  marg.  *  too  many  and 
too  mighty  for  us,'  i.  e.  *  to  suit  our  convenience,'  is  better. 

10.  deal  wisely,  '  adopt  a  prudent  policy.' 

any  war,  the  Israelites  were  settled  in  the  north-east  of  Egypt, 
a  frontier  district  peculiarly  liable  to  invasion,  and  frequently  threat- 
ened by  the  Syrian  and  Arabian  nomads,  and  also  by  the  Hittites. 
Babylonians,  and  Assyrians.  Many  of  the  Syrian  tribes  were 
nearly  allied  to  Israel,  so  that  its  control  of  the  frontier  district 
was  a  danger  to  Egypt. 

11.  taskmasters,  foremen  or  overseers  of  the  corvee  or  forced 
labour.  The  poorer  population,  especially  dependent  peoples, 
like  Israel,  not  belonging  to  the  ruling  nation,  were  compelled  to 
labour  on  public  works  without  pay,  except  food.     One  of  the 

^  According  to  Petrie's  dates. 


44  EXODUS  1.  13.     J 

built  for  Pharaoh  store  cities,  Pithom  and  Raamses. 
li  But  the  more  they  afflicted  them,  the  more  they  multi- 
grievances  of  the  Israelites  against  Solomon  was  that  he  had 
exacted  such  labour  from  them,  r  Kings  v.  13  ff.,  ix.  15  ff.,  xii.  4. 
A  similar  charge  is  brought  against  Jehoiakim  :  '  Woe  unto  him  that 
buildeth  his  house  by  unrighteousness,  and  his  chambers  by 
injustice,  that  useth  his  neighbour's  service  without  wages,  and 
giveth  him  no  hire,'  Jer.  xxii.  13.  The  Egyptian  and  Assyrian 
monuments  show  us  gangs  of  labourers  working  under  the  lasii 
of  overseers ;  and  the  corvee  is  still  an  institution  in  the  East. 

to  afflict  them,  to  break  their  spirit  and  reduce  their  numbers. 
The  language  does  not  make  it  clear  whether  the  Israelites  were 
already  subject  to  the  corvee  and  their  work  was  made  more 
laborious,  or  whether  they  were  now  made  subject  to  the  corvee 
for  the  first  time. 

Pharaoh  ;  see  Gen.  xii.  15. 

store  cities,  for  provisions  and  equipment  for  the  army  ;  such 
depots  would  be  necessary  on  an  exposed  frontier.  Moreover,  the 
Egyptian  frontier  was  the  base  for  Egyptian  expeditions  into 
Syria.  Solomon,  too,  had  *  store  cities '  for  his  chariots  and 
cavalry. 

Pithom.  The  site  of  Pithom  is  now  generally  located  at  the 
modern  Tell  el  Maskhttta,  west  of  Lake  Timsah,  not  quite  half-way 
between  the  Mediterranean  and  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez. 
Here,  in  1883,  E.  Naville  discovered  extensive  ruins  with  inscrip- 
tions which  showed  that  the  town  was  sometimes  called  P-afum, 
House  of  Atum,  the  Sun  God  of  On  or  Heliopolis,  and  that  it  was 
built  by  Rameses  II.  The  ruins  included  the  remains  of  large 
granaries.  It  is  chiefly  on  account  of  this  discovery  that  the 
Pharaoh  of  the  Oppression  is  often  identified  with  Rameses  II, 
whose  statue  has  been  discovered  at  Tell  el  Maskhuta.  Cf.  xiii. 
20  on  Etham,  and  xii.  37  on  Succoth. 

Saamses,  a  variant  of  Rameses.  There  is  evidence  that  several 
towns  of  this  name  existed,  most  of  them,  at  any  rate,  built  by 
Rameses  II.  This  Rameses  has  often  been  identified  with  Zoan 
or  Tanis  in  the  Eastern  Delta  near  the  Mediterranean  coast ;  but 
some  site  nearer  Pithom,  e.  g.  Tell  el  Kebir,  a  little  to  the  west 
(another  identification)  is  more  probable.  At  present  the  exact 
position  of  this  *  Raamses '  is  uncertain. 

After  Raamses  the  Septuagint  adds,  'And  On  which  is  Helion- 
polis,'  i.  e.  the  City  of  the  Sun,  Heliopolis,  some  distance  to  the 
south-west  of  Pithom,  near  the  modern  Cairo.  On  may  have  stood 
in  the  original  Hebrew  text  and  been  omitted  by  accident  or 
design  ;  or  it  is  possible,  as  has  been  suggested,  that  the  addition 
in    the    Septuagint    has  arisen  out  of  a   gloss  intended   to  give 


EXODUS  1.  13-16.     JP  E  45 

plied  and  the  more  they  spread  abroad.  And  they  ^  were 
grieved  because  of  tlie  children  of  Israel.  [P]  And  13 
the  Egyptians  made  the  children  of  Israel  to  serve  with 
rigour :  and  they  made  their  lives  bitter  with  hard  service,  14 
in  mortar  and  in  brick,  and  in  all  manner  of  service 
in  the  field,  all  their  service,  wherein  they  made  them 
serve  with  rigour. 

[E]  And  the  king  of  Egypt  spake  to  the  Hebrew  mid-  15 
wives,  of  which  the  name  of  the  one  was  Shiphrah,  and 
the  name  of  the  other  Puah  :  and  he  said.  When  ye  do  16 
the  office  of  a  midwife  to  the  Hebrew  women,  and  see 
them  upon  the  birthstool ;  if  it  be  a  son,  then  ye  shall 

'^Or,  abJiorred 

information  about  Pithom,  which  was  called  by  the  Greeks 
HeroonpoUs.  A  scribe  may  have  added  after  Pithom  *  which  is 
HeroonpoHs,'  and  this  may  have  been  misread  as  Hehopolis.  and 
then  the  gloss  may  have  grown  into  the  separate  clause,  'And 
On  which  is  Heliopolis.' 

12.  were  grieved,  because  of  R.V.  inarg.,  'abhorred.' 

14.  service  in  tlie  field,  according  to  Deut.  xi.  10  the  Israelites 
sowed  seed  and  watered  it  with  their  foot,  i.  e.  irrigated  the  land 
by  means  of  the  shadoof,  or  some  other  machine  equally  cum- 
brous and  laborious  to  work.  The  shadoof  is  still  in  use  on  the 
Nile,  and  pictures  of  it  are  found  on  the  monuments  (Erman,  Lt/e 
in  Ancient  Egypt,  Eng.  tr.,  p.  426).  Various  forms  of  water-wheels 
are  also  used  for  irrigation  ;  see  Driver  on  Deut.  xi.  10. 

15.  Hebrew,  the  name  given  to  Israelites  by  foreigners;  see 
Gen.  xiv.  13. 

Shiphrah  and  Pnah :  the  names  only  occur  here  ;  Shiphrah  is 
Hebrew,  and  means  '  beauty ';  there  is  no  certain  available  Hebrew 
etymology  of  Puah,  but  it  may  also  be  Hebrew  and  mean  bright- 
ness. The  pair  are  spoken  of  as  'Hebrew  midwives,'  and 
naturally  Israelite  mothers  would  be  attended  by  women  of  their 
own  people.  Thus  Pharaoh  was  asking  the  midwives  to  betray 
and  murder  their  own  kinsfolk, 

16.  hirthstool,  A.  V.  'stools';  Hebrew  'ob/ntayint,  a  dual 
form,  usually  explained  as  referring  to  two  stones  on  which  the 
women  in  labour  sat.  The  meaning,  however,  of  the  word  is 
uncertain.  It  only  occurs  elsewhere  in  Jer.  xviii.  3,  where  it  is 
used  of  the  two  revolving  discs  of  the  potter's  wheel.    In  any  case^ 


46  EXODUS  1.  17—2.  I     E 

kill  him ;   but  if  it  be  a  daughter,  then  she  shall  live. 

17  But  the  midwives  feared  God,  and  did  not  as  the  king  of 
Egypt  commanded  them,  but  saved  the  men  children 

18  alive.  And  the  king  of  Egypt  called  for  the  midwives, 
and  said  unto  them,  ^^^ly  have  ye  done  this  thing,  and 

19  have  saved  the  men  children  alive  ?  And  the  midwives 
said  unto  Pharaoh,  Because  the  Hebrew  women  are  not 
as  the  Egyptian  women  ;   for  they  are  lively,  and  are 

20  delivered  ere  the  midwife  come  unto  them.  And  God 
dealt  well  with  the  midwives  :  and  the  people  multiplied, 

21  and  waxed  very  mighty.     And  it  came  to  pass,  because  the 

22  midwives  feared  God,  that  he  made  them  houses.  And 
Pharaoh  charged  all  his  people,  saying.  Every  son  that  is 
born  ye  shall  cast  into  « the  river,  and  every  daughter  ye 
shall  save  alive. 

2      And  there  went  a  man  of  the  house  of  Levi,  and  took 

*See  Gen.  xli.  i. 

'when  ye  see  them  upon  the  ''obhnayini'  means  'when  ye  see 
them  in  labour.' 

if  it  be  a  son,  &c.:  if  the  male  Israelites  were  largely  dimin- 
ished  the  girls  would  be  enslaved,  and  bear  children  to 
Egyptians,  so  that  the  Israelites  would  be  absorbed  in  the  native 
population. 

19.  lively,  &c.,  i.  e.  '  full  of  vitality,'  so  that  the  natural  function 
.  of  bearing  a  child  is  performed,  as  the  context  states,  easily  and 
quickly.  The  clause  has  also  been  translated,  *  when  they  are 
pregnant,  they  are  delivered,  &c.'  Pregnancy  is  usually  easy  with 
women  of  primitive  races,  and  is  said  to  be  so  amongst  the 
Bedouin  at  the  present  time. 

21.  made  them  honses,  gave  them  husbands,  children,  and 
descendants  ;  cf.  i  Kings  ii.  24. 

22.  If,  as  we  believe,  this  verse  belongs  to  the  same  document 
as  the  preceding,  Pharaoh,  foiled  in  one  attempt,  tries  a  new 
method.  Some,  however,  regard  this  as  alternative  to  the  com- 
mand to  the  midwives. 

ii.  1-22      The  Birth  and  Early  Years  of  Moses.      Cf.  Acts 

vii.  19-29.) 

i-io  (E).  A  son  is  born  to  a  couple  of  the  tribe  of  Levi.  Aftei 
being  hidden  for  three  months,  he  is  exposed  on  the  banks  of  the 


EXODUS  2.  2.     E  47 

to  wife  a  daughter  of  Levi.     And  the  woman  conceived,  2 

Nile  in  an  ark  of  bulrushes.  There  he  is  found  by  an  Egyptian 
princess,  who  adopts  him.  First,  his  own  mother  is  paid  to  nurse 
him  ;  then  he  is  brought  up  by  the  princess,  who  names  him  Moses. 

11-15  (J).  Moses,  now  grown  up,  slays  an  Egyptian  who  was 
ni-treating  a  Hebrew.  The  next  day,  attempting  to  reconcile  two 
Hebrews  who  were  quarrelling,  he  finds  that  the  slaying  of  the 
Egyptian  is  known,  and  flees  to  Midian. 

i6-2a  (J).  There  he  helps  the  daughters  of  the  priest  of  Midian 
to  water  their  flock ;  is  hospitably  entertained  by  the  priest ; 
marries  his  daughter  Zipporah,  by  whom  he  has  a  son,  Gershom. 

The  narrative  of  Moses'  early  life  in  Egypt  takes  a  familiar  form. 
In  folklore  we  constantly  meet  with  the  newborn  child,  destined 
to  become  a  hero,  whose  life  is  sought  by  the  king.  The  child  is 
exposed,  but  is  rescued  in  some  wonderful  way,  and  grows  up  to 
fulfil  his  destiny.  The  reader  will  remember  how  Romulus  and 
Remus  were  exposed,  and  were  suckled  by  the  she-wolf. 
According  to  Herodotus,  the  elder  Cyrus  was  ordered  by  Astyages, 
king  of  the  Modes,  to  be  exposed  and  left  to  die  ;  but  the  herds- 
man, who  should  have  carried  out  the  king's  orders,  preserved  the 
child's  life  and  brought  him  up  as  his  own  son.  Ultimately  Cyrus 
became  king  of  Persia,  and  defeated  and  deposed  Astyages. 
A  similar  story  is  utilized  by  William  Morris  in  his  *  Man  born  to 
be  king'  in  the  Earthly  Paradise.  Similarly,  we  have  a  narrative 
written  in  the  name  of  Sargon,  king  of  Akkad,  c.  B.C.  3800, 
a  precursor  of  the  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  kings,  in  which  he 
says  of  himself :  '  My  mother,  of  noble  race,  conceived  me  and  bore 
me  in  secret.  She  put  me  in  a  basket,  and  closed  up  the  opening 
with  bitumen.  She  cast  me  into  the  river,  which  did  not  flow 
over  me  [?].  The  river  carried  me  along  to  Akki,  the  irrigator, 
who  took  me  up,  reared  me,  and  made  me  a  gardener.  While  I 
acted  as  gardener,  [the  goddess]  Ishtar  showed  me  favour. 
Forty-five  years  I  ruled  over  the  black-haired  race  (i.  e.  the 
Semites).'  ^  Cf.  the  story  of  Hadad  and  Genubath,  i  Kings  xi.  17-22. 

Later  Jewish  tradition  freely  supplemented  the  biblical  account 
of  the  youth  of  Moses,  e.  g.  Josephus,  Ant.  II.  ix,  x,  tells  us  that 
the  name  of  Pharaoh's  daughter  was  Thermuthis,  and  that  Moses 
commanded  the  Egyptian  army  in  a  successful  campaign  against 
the  Ethiopians,  and  married  Tharbis  the  daughter  of  the  Ethiopian 
king.  Philo  {Vita  Moysis,  i.  5)  gives  details  of  his  education  in 
all  the  learning  of  Egypt,  Greece,  Assyria,  and  Chaldaea^ 

^  McCurdy,  History,  Prophecy,  and  the  Monuments,  i.  99,  slightly 
abbreviated. 

^  Cf.  pp.  5  f.  and  the  author's  article  Moses  in  DB. 


48  EXODUS  2.  3-5.     E 

and  bare  a  son  :    and  when  she  saw  him  that  he  was 

3  a  goodly  child,  she  hid  him  three  months.  And  when 
she  could  not  longer  hide  him,  she  took  for  him  an  ark 
of  ^  bulrushes,  and  daubed  it  with  ^  slime  and  with  pitch  ; 
and  she  put  the  child  therein,  and  laid  it  in  the  flags 

4  by  the  river's  brink.     And  his  sister  stood  afar  off,  to 

5  know  what  would  be  done  to  him.  And  the  daughter  of 
Pharaoh  came  down  to  bathe  at  the  river  ;    and  her 

*That  is,  papyrus.  *'That  is,  bitumen. 


Sources,  &c.  At  first  sight  ii.  1-22  seems  to  read  all  right  as 
a  single  consecutive  narrative  ;  a  closer  examination  reveals  slight 
prima  facie  inconsistencies  ;  see  notes  on  verses  4,  7,  and  18. 
Further,  when  we  take  into  account  the  characteristics  of  the 
documents  shown  elsewhere,  it  seems  probable  that  substantially 
i-io  belongs  to  the  Elohistic  document,  E,  and  11-22  to  the 
Primitive  Document,  J,  but  that  each  section  has  been  somewhat 
modified  by  editorial  notes,  e.  g.  the  Reuel  in  verse  18. 

Verses  i-io  are  connected  with  E  by  the  feature  that  the 
Israelites  are  not  living  apart  in  Goshen,  but  amongst  the 
Egyptians,   close  to  the  Nile  and  the  court. 

Verses  11-22  are  connected  with  J  by  the  following  features. 
We  have  the  nameless  '  priest  of  Midian  '  instead  of  E's  Jethro. 
Instead  of  E's  nameless  'wife  and  two  sons'  of  Moses  we  have 
Zipporah  and  one  son,  Gershom.  Verses  11-14,  however,  and 
part  of  verse  15  are  sometimes  given  to  E. 

1  ff.  a  man  ...  a  daug'hter,  &c.  The  writer  is  apparently  not 
acquainted  with  the  father,  mother,  and  sister  of  Moses,  or  of  the 
king  of  Egypt  and  his  daughter.  Pharaoh  is  merely  a  title. 
Cf.  vi.  16-20. 

3.  ark,  tehhd,  box  or  basket,  only  used  elsewhere  for  *  Noah's 
ark,'  perhaps  borrowed  from  the  Egyptian,  in  which  T-h-t  is 
a  chest  or  coffin,  BDB.     The  ark  of  the  covenant  is  ^aron. 

bulrushes,  as  marg.,  the  papyrus-reed  which  grows  plenti- 
fully on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  and  more  especially  of  its  backwaters. 
The  Hebrew  word  gome'  may  also  be  borrowed  from  the  Egyptian. 
The  Septuagint  omits  the  word  here. 

flags,  or  rushes,  the  Hebrew  word  stiph  may  also  be  borrowed 
from  the  Egyptian.  It  gives  name  to  the  Red  Sea,  which  is  Yam 
Suph,  the  Sea  of  Rushes. 

4,  *7.  his  sister.  Verses  i,  2  imply  that  Moses  was  his  mother's 
firstborn.    The  'sister'  may  be  introduced  from  another  document, 


EXODUS  2.  6-10.     E  49 

maidens  walked  along  by  the  river  side ;  and  she  saw 
the  ark  among  the  flags,  and  sent  her  handmaid  to  fetch 
it.     And  she  opened  it^  and  saw  the  child  :  and,  behold,  6 
the  babe  wept.     And  she  had  compassion  on  him,  and 
said,  This  is  one  of  the  Hebrews'  children.     Then  said  7 
his  sister  to  Pharaoh's  daughter.  Shall  I  go  and  call  thee 
a  nurse  of  the  Hebrew   women,    that  she   may   nurse 
the  child  for  thee  ?    And  Pharaoh's  daughter  said  to  her,  8 
Go.     And  the  maid  went  and  called  the  child's  mother. 
And  Pharaoh's  daughter  said  unto  her,  Take  this  child  9 
away,  and  nurse  it  for  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  thy  wages. 
And  the  woman  took  the  child,  and  nursed  it.      And  10 
the  child  grew,  and  she  brought  him  unto  Pharaoh's 
daughter,  and  he  became  her  son.     And  she  called  his 
name  a- Moses,  and  said,  Because  I  ^'drew  him  out  of 
the  water. 

*  Heb.  Mosheh.  ^  Heb.  mashah,  to  draw  out. 

or  may  be  due  to  corruption  of  the  text.     It  is  hardly  likely  that 
a  half-sister  is  intended. 

5.  her  maidens  walked  aloner  by  the  river  side:  perhaps  to 
protect  their  mistress  from  any  intrusion  (Holzinger). 

her  handmaid,  her  special  personal  attendant ;  the  word 
'awd  is  characteristic  of  E. 

7,  his  sister.  Wiien  she  saw  that  the  ark  was  found  she 
ventured  to  join  the  princess'  attendants  to  see  what  would 
happen  to  her  brother. 

9.  thy  wagres.  Thus  the  mother  got  paid  for  nursing  her  own 
child,  a  feature  of  the  story  which  would  be  fully  appreciated  by 
a  primitive  sense  of  humour. 

10.  he  became  her  son:  was  brought  up  as  her  adopted  son. 
The  statement  of  Stephen,  Acts  vii.  22,  that  '  Moses  was  instructed 
in  all  the  learning  of  the  Egyptians,'  and  the  similar  statement  of 
Philo,  are  legitimate  deductions  from  the  words  '  he  became  her 
son.'  As  the  adopted  child  of  the  princess  he  would  receive  the 
best  education  that  Egypt  could  give. 

Moses.  The  origin,  derivation,  and  meaning  of  this  name  are 
uncertain.  The  Hebrew  form  of  it,  Moshe,  resembles  the  root 
mashd,  '  drew ' ;  hence  the  derivation  in  the  text,  which,  however, 
is  not  justified  linguistically  ;   nor  is  it  likely  that  the  Egyptian 

£ 


50  EXODUS  2.  11-15.     J 

11  [J]  And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  when  Moses 
was  grown  up,  that  he  went  out  unto  his  brethren,  and 
looked   on    their    burdens  :    and   he   saw   an    Egyptian 

1 2  smiting  an  Hebrew,  one  of  his  brethren.  And  he  looked 
this  way  and  that  way,  and  when  he  saw  that  there  was 
no  man,  he  smote  the  Egyptian,  and  hid  him  in  the  sand. 

13  And  he  went  out  the  second  day,  and,  behold,  two  men 
of  the  Hebrews  strove  together  :  and  he  said  to  him 
that  did  the  wrong,  Wherefore  smitest  thou  thy  fellow  ? 

H  And  he  said.  Who  made  thee  a  prince  and  a  judge  over 
us  ?  thinkest  thou  to  kill  me,  as  thou  killedst  the  Egyp- 
tian ?  And  Moses  feared,  and  said,  Surely  the  thing  is 

15  known.  Now  when  Pharaoh  heard  this  thing,  he  sought 
to  slay  Moses.     But  Moses  fled  from  the  face  of  Pharaoh, 

princess  would  give  her  son  a  Hebrew  name.  In  the  Septuagint 
the  name  is  Mouses,  and  in  the  Vulgate  Moyses;  the  form  Mouses 
is  accepted  by  Josephus  and  Philo,  and  explained  by  them  as 
derived  from  the  Egyptian  mo,  '  water,'  and  ushe,  'saved,'  or  moii, 
'water,'  and  se,  'taken'  ;  a  similar  view  has  been  held  by  some 
modern  scholars.  The  name  has  also  been  connected  with  the 
Egyptian  mes,  mestt,  'son'  ;  and  there  are  many  other  theories. 

The  name  is  apparently  not  given  till  Moses'  mother  brings  him 
back  to  the  princess. 

11.  he  went  out  unto  his  brethren.  We  should  expect  that 
Moses  would  have  been  brought  up  as  an  Egyptian  ;  and  possibly 
this  unexplained  reference  to  his  knowledge  that  he  was  a  Hebrew 
indicates  a  second  source.  But  it  might  be  taken  for  granted  that 
he  had  in  some  way  learnt  his  parentage.  Josephus  implies  that 
his  Hebrew  birth  was  publicly  Icnown  all  the  time. 

15.  Josephus  omits  the  slaughter  of  the  Egyptian  by  Moses, 
and  states  that  he  fled  because  he  became  aware  that  the  king  was 
plotting  to  kill  him,  having  been  moved  to  jealousy  on  account 
of  Moses'  success  in  an  Ethiopian  campaign.  The  statement  ii 
Hebrews  xi.  24,  that  *  Moses  .  .  .  refused  to  be  called  the  son  01 
Pharaoh's  daughter,'  may  be  merely  based  on  this  passage — by 
espousing  the  cause  of  his  brethren,  he  deliberately  forfeited  the 
favour  of  Pharaoh  and  his  daughter.  But  the  narrative  suggests 
that  he  tried  to  avoid  any  public  identification  of  himself  with  the 
Israelites ;  and  it  is  possible  that  Hebrews  follows  some  lost 
tradition  (cf.  Peake's  Hebretvs). 


EXODUS  2.  16-19.     J  5r 

and  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Midian  :  and  he  sat  down  by 
a  well.     Now  the  priest  of  Midian  had  seven  daughters  :  16 
and  they  came  and  drew  water,  and  filled  the  troughs  to 
water  their  father's  flock.     And  the  shepherds  came  and  17 
drove  them  away:  but  Moses  stood  up  and  helped  them, 
and  watered  their  flock.     And  when  they  came  to  Reuel  18 
their  father,  he  said,  How  is  it  that  ye  are  come  so  soon 
to-day  ?  And  they  said,  An  Egyptian  delivered  us  out  of  19 

Midian,  probably  somewhere  south  or  south-east  of  Palestine  ; 
cf.  on  Horeb,  iii.  i,  and  on  Gen.  xxv.  2. 

he  sat  down  by  a  well.  The  story  is  very  similar  to  that  of 
Jacob,  Gen.  xxix,  J;  cf.  also  Gen.  xxiv.  11. 

16.  priest  of  Midian :  nameless,  so  usually  in  J.  In  E  Moses' 
father-in-law  is  Jethro.  Cf.  also  on  verse  18,  Reuel,  and  on 
Num.  X.  29,  Hobab.  The  Septuagint  introduces  lotlior,  i.  e.  Jethro, 
after  '  their  father.' 

17.  Moses  stood  up  and  helped  them.  Like  the  heroes  of 
primitive  story,  he  is  more  than  a  match  single-handed  for  many 
opponents. 

18.  Seuel :  Septuagint,  Raguel ;  the  name  also  occurs  in  Gen. 
xxxvi.  4  (which  see),  &c.,  for  a  son  of  Esau  ;  in  Num.  ii.  14  for 
a  Gadite  ;  and  in  i  Chron.  ix.  8  for  a  Benjamite.  In  Num.  x.  29, 
J,  we  have  'Hobab,  the  son  of  Reuel  j^A.V.  Raguel]  the  Midianite, 
Moses'  father-in-law,'  where  Hobab  and  not  Reuel  is  the 
father-in-law:  as  in  Judges  iv.  11,  R.V.,  'Hobab  the  father- 
in-law  of  Moses,'  where,  however,  Hobab  is  a  Kenite.  Perhaps 
too  'Hobab  the  Kenite,  the  father-in-law  of  Moses,'  should 
be  read  in  Judges  i.  16,  with  some  manuscripts  of  the  Septua- 
gint. Others,  however,  would  read  here,  '  Cain  the  father- 
in-law  of  Moses,'  and  would  regard  Cain  as  the  name  given  to 
father-in-law  of  Moses  by  the  oldest  tradition  (E.  Meyer, 
p.  90).  In  our  passage  Reuel  seems  an  editorial  addition  or  note ; 
the  name  would  have  come  more  naturally  in  verse  16,  at  the 
first  mention  of  'the  priest  of  Midian.'  So  too  in  Num.  x.  29, 
'  Hobab,  the  son  of  Reuel,'  is  probably  an  editorial  note,  intended 
to  harmonize  the  use  of  Hobab  and  of  Reuel  for  the  father-in-law 
of  Moses.  Probably  in  the  original  story  the  father-in-law  ^ya3 
nameless,  and  various  names  were  supplied  as  the  tradition 
developed. 

so  soon :  apparently  the  interference  of  the  shepherds  was 
a  familiar  experience. 

An  Egyptian :  Moses'  dress  would  suggest  that  he  was  an 
Egyptian. 

E  2 


52  EXODUS  2.  20-23.     J 

the  hand  of  the  shepherds,  and  moreover  he  drew  water 

20  for  us,  and  watered  the  flock.  And  he  said  unto  his 
daughters,  And  where  is  he  ?  why  is  it  that  ye  have  left 

21  the  man  ?  call  him,  that  he  may  eat  bread.  And 
Moses  was  content  to  dwell  with  the  man  :  and  he  gave 

22  Moses  Zipporah  his  daughter.  And  she  bare  a  son,  and 
he  called  his  name  Gershom :  for  he  said,  I  have  been 
'"^a  sojourner  in  a  strange  land. 

23  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  course  of  those  many  days, 

*  Heb.  Ger. 

21.  was  content,  agreed,  decided. 

Zipporah,  the  feminine  form  of  Zippor,  the  name  of  the  father 
of  Balak,  king  of  Moab,  Num.  xxii.  2,  &c.  These  names  denote 
*  small  bird,'  and  may  originally  have  been  totemistic,  i.  e. 
persons  so-called  Avere  named  after  the  totem  or  animal  deity  of 
their  tribe.  Zipporah  is  also  mentioned  iv.  25,  J,  and  xviii.  2,  R. 
In  Num.  xii.  i  Moses  is  said  to  have  married  a  Cushite,  probably 
an  Ethiopian  woman  ;  cf.  Josephus's  story  about  the  Ethiopian 
princess.  *  Cushite '  can  hardly  be  a  description  of  Zipporah,  and 
probably  Num.  xii  does  not  belong  to  either  the  original  J  or  the 
original  E,  but  perhaps  to  a  later  addition  of  E.  In  the  original 
E  the  name  of  Moses'  wife  is  not  given. 

22.  a  son  .  .  .  Gershom:  in  E,  xviii.  ^f.,  Moses  has  two  sons; 
cf.  notes  on  xviii.  2-4.  In  P  we  do  not  read  of  any  sons  of 
Moses,  but  there  is  a  Levitical  clan  Mushi,  vi.  19,  which  probably 
at  one  time  claimed  to  be  descended  from  him.  The  explanation 
'  for  he  said,  I  have  been  a  sojourner  in  a  strange  land '  regards 
the  name  as  compounded  oi ger,  'a  sojourner,'  and  sham,  'there,' 
but  this  is  popular  etymology  and  not  a  real  derivation,  i  Chron. 
xxiii.  14  ff.,  xxvi.  23  ff.,  give  the  names  of  sons  of  Gershom  and 
Eliezer.  In  Judges  xviii.  30  the  priest  of  the  sanctuary  at  Dan  is 
Jonathan  son  of  Gershom,  son  of  Moses.  Thus  the  priesthood  of 
the  Northern  Dan  traced  its  descent  to  Moses  through  Gershom. 
Probably  the  Levitical  clan  Gershon  is  the  same  family;  in  the 
final  rearrangement  of  the  genealogies  it  traced  its  descent 
to  Levi. 

ii.  23 — iv,  17,     The  Call  of  Moses. 

(A  narrative  compiled  by  interweaving  shorter  and  longer 
paragraphs  of  J  and  E;  to  this  a  section  from  P  has  been  prefixed, 
and  there  are  numerous  editorial  additions.) 


EXODUS  2.  23.     J  P  53 

that  the  king  of  Egypt  died  :  [P]  and  the  children  of  Israel 

23 rt  (J,  P),    The  king  of  Egypt  dies. 

236-25  (P).    The  Israeh'tes  appeal  to  God,  who  hears  their  cry. 

iii.  1-5  (JE).  As  Moses  is  keeping  the  flock  of  Jethro  on  Horeb, 
he  sees  a  bush  which  burns  without  being  consumed ;  from  this 
bush  God  speaks  to  him. 

6-10  (JE).  God  tells  Moses  that  He  is  about  to  deliver  Israel 
from  the  Egyptians  and  to  settle  them  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 
Moses  is  to  be  their  leader. 

11  (E).    Moses  says  he  is  not  equal  to  the  task. 

12  (E).  God  promises  His  presence.  After  their  deliverance 
the  Israelites  will  worship  God  on  Horeb. 

13  (E).  Moses  asks  by  what  name  he  is  to  speak  of  God  to  the 
Israelites. 

14-15  (RE).  God  reveals  His  name  as  '  I  am  that  I  am,'  and 
declares  Himself  the  God  of  the  patriarchs. 

16-22  (JE).  Moses  is  to  announce  his  mission  to  the  Elders, 
and  they  are  to  go  with  him  to  the  king  of  Egj'pt,  to  ask  per- 
mission to  go  three  days'  journey  into  the  wilderness  to  sacrifice 
to  their  God.  The  king  will  refuse,  and  will  not  let  the  people  go 
till  God  has  smitten  Egypt  with  wonders.  When  the  Israelites 
depart,  they  shall  borrow  jewels  and  clothing  of  the  Eg3'ptians. 

iv.  1-9  (J).  When  Moses  objects  that  the  people  will  not  believe 
him,  Yahweh  gives  him  the  signs  of  the  rod  which  becomes 
a  serpent,  and  his  hand  becoming  leprous.  These  signs  Moses  is 
to  repeat  before  the  people.  If  they  are  not  convinced,  he  is  to 
turn  water  into  blood. 

10  (J).  Moses  objects  that  he  never  was  eloquent  and  has  not 
become  so  through  his  interview  with  Yahweh. 

II,  12  (J\  Yahweh  declares  that  as  the  Creator,  He  will  teach 
Moses  what  to  say. 

13-16  (R).  Moses  still  demurs,  and  Yahweh  in  anger  says  that 
his  brother  Aaron  the  Levite  shall  join  him  and  be  his  spokesman. 

17  (E).    God  gives  him  a  rod  with  which  to  do  signs. 

Sources,  &c.  There  are  the  usual  signs  of  compilation  and  of 
the  presence  of  portions  of  the  Primitive,  Eloliistic,  and  Priestly 
Documents.  Thus  ii.  23  i-25  are  bj'  common  consent  referred  to 
P;  iii.  16-18,  iv.  1-12  to  J  ;  iii.  6,  9^-13,  15,  19,  20,  iv.  17  to  E  ; 
and  iii.  14  to  R.  Also  iii.  21,  22  are  usually  ascribed  to  E.  The 
source  of  some  of  the  remaining  verses,  especially  iv.  13-16,  is 
not  very  certain.  See  the  notes  on  iii.  i,  13,  15,  18,  22  ;  iv.  2, 
13-16,  17. 

ii.  23.  the  kingf  of  Effypt  died.    His  successor,  of  course,  is 


54  EXODUS  2.  24—8.  2.     P  E  J 

sighed  by  reason  of  the  bondage,  and  they  cried,  and 
their  cry  came  up  unto  God  by  reason  of  the  bondage. 

24  And  God  heard  their  groaning,  and  God  remembered  his 
covenant  with   Abraham,   with   Isaac,   and  with   Jacob. 

25  And   God  saw  the  children    of  Israel,  and   God   took 
knowledge  of  them. 

8  [E]  Now  Moses  was  keeping  the  flock  of  Jethro  his 
father  in  law,  the  priest  of  Midian  :  and  he  led  the  flock 
to  the  back  of  the  wilderness,  and  came  to  the  mountain 

2  of  God,  unto  Horeb.    [J]  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  ap- 


'  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus,'  Eometinies  identified  witli  Me- 
renptah,  the  successor  of  Rameses  II ;  cf.  on  i.  8,  and  Introduction, 
p.  8. 

24.  covenant.  Cf.  Gen.  xv.  18,  J,  xvii.  1-14,  19,  21,  P, 
Abraham;    xxvi.  2-4,  E,  Isaac;  Gen,  xxviii.  13  ff.,  Jacob. 

25.  saw  .  .  .  took  knowledg'e  of  them.  The  Hebrew  text  as  it 
stands  hardl3'  makes  sense.  The  Septuagint  renders  the  last 
clause  'and  was  known  of  them,'  i.  e.  'made  Himself  known  unto 
them.'  The  Targum  has  a  paraphrase  to  the  effect  that  the 
bondage  or  toil  of  the  Israelites  was  manifest  to  Yahweh,  and  He 
promised  to  deliver  them.  Possibly  this  latter  rendering  is  from 
a  more  original  text,  and  indicates  that  the  present  Hebrew  is 
corrupt,  i.e.  has  been  incorrectly  copied. 

iii.  1.  Jethro,  the  name  of  the  father-in-law  of  Moses  in  E; 
cf.  ii.  16.  In  iv.  18  it  is  written  Jeiher,  perhaps  by  mistake. 
The  name  is  similar  to  a  Hebrew  root  meaning  'abundance,' 
'excellence.' 

the  priest  of  Midian :  as  this  phrase  is  characteristic  of  J,  and 
this  verse  otherwise  has  the  notes  of  E,  these  words  are  an 
editorial  addition. 

the  back  of  the  wilderness,  literally,  'behind  the  wilderness,' 
i.e.  'across  the  wilderness,'  i.e.  to  pastures  on  the  side  of  the 
wilderness  remote  from  the  home  of  Jethro  (Holzinger). 

to  the  mountain  of  God,  unto  Horeb.  The  sacred  mountain 
of  the  giving  of  the  Law  is  called  Horeb  in  E  and  D,  and  Sinai  in 
J  and  P.  The  Old  Testament,  especially  in  the  earlier  literature, 
specially  connects  Yahweh  with  Sinai,  as  apparenth'  His  home 
and  sanctuar3',  e.  g.,  in  addition  to  the  Pentateuch,  Judges  v.  5  ; 
Teman  and  Paran  in  Hab.  iii.  3  are  probablj-  the  district  of  Sinai. 

Horeb.  Sinai  must  have  been  somewhere  in  the  districts  to 
the  south  and  south-east  of  Palestine  ;  otherwise  its  exact  locality  is 


EXODUS   3.  y6.     J  E  J  E  55 

pcared  unto  him  in  a  flame  of  fire  out  of  the  midst  of  a 
bush :  and  he  looked,  and,  behold,  the  bush  burned  with 
fire,  and  the  bush  was  not  consumed.     And  Moses  said,  I  3 
will  turn  aside  now,  and  see  this  great  sight,  why  the  bush  is 
not  burnt.    And  when  the  Lord  saw  that  he  turned  aside  4 
to  see,  [E]  God  called  unto  him  out  of  the  midst  of  the 
bush,  and  said,  Moses,  Moses.     [J]  And  he  said.  Here 
am  I.     And  he  said.  Draw  not  nigh  hither :  put  off  thy  5 
shoes  from  off  thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest 
is  holy  ground.     [E]  Moreover  he  said,  I  am  the  God  of  6 


matter  of  controversy.  The  early  Israelite  tradition  placed  Horeb- 
Sinai  somewhere  in  or  near  Edom,  Judges  v.  4  flf.  The  localiza- 
tion of  Sinai  in  what  is  now  called  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula  is  not 
older  than  the  Exile,  and  may  be  the  work  of  P.  It  is  waste  of 
time,  therefore,  to  consider  which  particular  mountain,  Mt.  Serbal 
or  Jebel  Musa,  in  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula  is  the  Sinai  of  the 
Exodus.  See  further  on  Sinai.  The  words  *  of  God  '  are  omitted 
by  some  texts  of  the  Septuagint  from  the  phrase  *  mountain  of 
God.' 

2.  the  an^el  of  the  Iiord,  i.  e.  a  special  manifestation  of 
Yahweh.  In  the  earlier  literature  the  phrase  is  often  used  inter- 
changeably with  'Yahweh,'  as  here;  cf.  verse  4.  Later  'the 
angel  of  Yahweh  '  becomes  nearly  equivalent  to  our  archangel. 
See  also  on  Gen.  xvi.  7. 

bush,  sene,  some  kind  of  thorny  shrub,  it  is  not  certain 
which  ;  according  to  the  Septuagint  ba/os  and  the  Vulgate  rubus, 
the  bramble.  As  the  bramble  is  not  found  on  the  modern  Sinai, 
the  sene  has  also  been  identified  with  the  acacia,  on  account  of  the 
superficial  resemblance  to  sanf,  the  Arabic  name  of  the  acacia. 
Probably  the  ancient  writers  would  connect  sene  with  the  name 
Sinai.  The  word  5^«/only  occurs  in  the  O.T.  in  this  chapter  and 
in  Deut,  xxxiii.  16, 

5.  put  off  thy  shoes,  still  customary  in  the  East  as  a  mark  of 
respect  on  entering  a  mosque  or  holy  place. 

holy  ground.  The  scene  of  this  revelation  to  Moses  may 
have  been  an  ancient  sanctuary  ;  or  the  place  may  have  been 
thought  of  as  rendered  holy  by  this  appearance  of  God. 

6.  God  of  thy  father.  The  phrase  also  occurs  in  God's 
address  to  Jacob  in  Gen.  xlvi.  3  ;  it  is  a  little  striking  here,  as  no 
stress  is  laid  on  Moses'  father  in  E.  Perhaps  we  should  read 
'  th3'-  fathers,'  as  in  verse  15. 


$0  EXODUS  3.  7-9.     E  J 

thy  father,  the  God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and 
the  God  of  Jacob.     And  Moses  hid  his  face;  for  he  was 

7  afraid  to  look  upon  God.  [J]  And  the  Lord  said,  I  have 
surely  seen  the  affliction  of  my  people  which  are  in 
Egypt,  and  have  heard  their  cry  by  reason  of  their  task- 

8  masters  ;  for  I  know  their  sorrows  ;  and  I  am  come  down 
to  deliver  them  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Egyptians,  and  to 
bring  them  up  out  of  that  land  unto  a  good  land  and 
a  large,  unto  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey;  unto  the 
place  of  the  Canaanite,  and  the  Hittite,  and  the  Amorite, 

9  and  the  Perizzite,  and  the  Hivite,  and  the  Jebusite.    And 

God  of  Abraham,  i&c.  This  passage  is  used  by  Jesus  as 
a  proof-text  for  the  resurrection  in  His  answer  to  the  Sadducees, 
Mark  xii.  26. 

hid  his  face,  to  avoid  the  danger  involved  in  beholding  God  ; 
cf.  Gen.  xvi.  14,  Judges  xiii.  22. 

8.  I  am  come  down,  to  make  further  investigation.  So 
Yahvveh  came  down  to  see  the  tower  of  Babel,  Gen.  xi.  5,  and  to 
inquire  into  the  sin  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Gen.  xviii.  21. 

flowing'  with  milk  and  honey,  a  standing  description  of 
Palestine ;  cf.  xiii.  5,  xxxiii.  3,  &c.,  as  affording  abundant  pasturage 
for  flocks  and  herds.  Possibly  the  honey,  debhash,  is  grape- 
syrup;  in  Gen.  xhx.  11,  12  wine  is  coupled  with  milk. 

the  Canaanite,  &c.,  similar  enumerations  are  common,  and 
the  lists  are  sometimes  supposed  to  be  editorial  additions,  where 
they  are  found  in  connexion  with  the  earlier  sources.  Canaanite 
is  sometimes  a  general  term  for  the  inhabitants  of  Palestine, 
especially'  in  J,  but  properly  Canaan  is  the  lowlands,  the  maritime 
plain  and  the  valley  of  the  Jordan. 

Hittite,  a  non-Semitic  people,  at  one  time  dominant  in  Asia 
Minor  and  Syria.  The  reference  here  is  to  the  Hittite  settlements 
in  Canaan,  located  about  Hebron  in  P,  Gen.  xxiii. 

Amorite,  also  often  used  for  the  inhabitants  of  Palestine 
generally,  especially'  in  E  ;  sometimes  for  the  inhabitants  of 
Northern  and  North  East  Palestine.  Sihon  in  East  Palestine  is 
king  of  the  Amorites,  Num.  xxi.  29. 

Perizzite,  either  a  tribe  settled  near  Bethel  or  the  inhabitants 
of  the  perazoih  or  open  villages  ;  cf.  Gen.  xiii.  7. 

Hivite,  inhabitants  of  the  districts  about  Gibeon,  Shechem. 
and  Hermon. 

Jebusite,  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  and  its  district 


EXODUS  3.  10-14.     J  E  R  57 

now,  behold,  the  cry  of  the  children  of  Israel  is  come 
unto  me  :  [E]  moreover  I  have  seen  the  oppression  where- 
with the  Egyptians  oppress  them.     Come  now  therefore,  10 
and  I  will  send  thee  unto  Pharaoh,  that  thou  mayest 
bring  forth  my  people  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt. 
And  Moses  said  unto  God,  Who  am  I,  that  I  should  go  n 
unto  Pharaoh,  and  that  I  should  bring  forth  the  children 
of  Israel  out  of  Egypt?  And  he  said.  Certainly  I  will  be  '-i. 
with  thee ;   and  this  shall  be  the  token  unto  thee,  that 
I  have  sent  thee :    when   thou  hast   brought  forth  the 
people  out   of  Egypt,  ye   shall   serve   God   upon   this 
mountain.     And  Moses  said  unto  God,  Behold,  when  i?, 
I  come  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  shall  say  unto 
them.  The  God  of  your  fathers  hath  sent  me  unto  you  ; 
and  they  shall  say  to  me.  What  is  his  name?  what  shall  I  say 
unto  them  ?  [R]  And  God  said  unto  Moses  ^  i  am  that  14 

"  Or,  /  AM  BECA USF  I  AM  Of,  /  AM  WHO  AM  Or,  /  WILL  BF  THA  T 
]  WILL  BE 

10.  Pharaoh.     See  on  ii.  23. 

12.  this  shall  be  the  token  unto  thee.  According  to  R.V.  the 
token  that  Moses  is  receiving  a  divine  commission  is  that  here- 
after the  Israelites  will  worship  God  on  that  mountain.  This 
does  not  seem  to  suit  the  circumstances  ;  Moses  needs  some 
present  assurance  and  encouragement,  but  this  '  token  '  is  only  an 
added  demand  for  faith.  There  is  no  certain  explanation  of  the 
difficulty.  Possibly  the  author  forgets  the  circumstances  of  Moses, 
and  writes  from  his  own  standpoint,  from  which  the  events  of  the 
sojourn  of  Israel  at  Sinai  were  a  signal  vindication  of  the  claims  of 
Moses.  Some  understand  'this'  of  the  burning  bush,  and  make 
'When  thou  hast  brought  forth  the  people,  &c.,' a  separate  sentence. 

13.  What  is  his  name  ?  In  this,  the  Elohistic,  document,  E, 
the  Divine  Name  Yahweh  is  not  known  to  the  Israelites  before 
the  Exodus,  and  is  now  first  revealed  to  Moses.  Apparently  in 
earlier  times  the  Israelites  are  thought  of  as  simply  using  the 
general  term,  Elohiw,  '  God.'  See  Genesis  in  this  series,  pp.  36, 
45,  92.  This  passage  is  important  because  it  explains  the  exclusive 
use  of  Eloln'ni  in  the  previous  portions  of  E.  Cf.  the  parallel 
passage  from  P  in  Exod.  vi.  2,  3. 

14.  I  am  that  I  am.     Hebrew,  'Ehyeh  ^os/ier  ^eliyeh.     As  the 


58  EXODUS  3.  15     RE 

I  AM  :  and  he  said,  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  the  children 

15  of  Israel,  "  i  am  hath  sent  me  unto  you.     [E]  And  God 

said  moreover  unto  Moses,  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  the 

*Or,  /  iviLL  Bii     Heb,  Ehyeh. 


margins  of  the  R.V.  show,  the  translation  and  interpretation  of 
these  words  is  very  uncertain.  ^Ehyeh  is  the  Hebrew  imperfect, 
a  most  elastic  verbal  form,  with  a  great  variety  of  possible 
meanings.  Its  exact  force  in  any  particular  instance  must  be 
determined  by  the  context.  Here,  therefore,  in  two  short 
phrases  which  practically  have  no  context,  it  is  difficult  to  say 
what  the  translation  should  be  ;  the  choice  here  lies,  as  the  R.V. 
indicates,  between  '  I  am '  and  '  1  will  be.'  As,  however,  the  root 
HYH  may  also  mean  '  become,'  we  must  add  *  I  become '  or  *  I 
will  become.' 

Unfortunately  the  particle  ^asher  is  equally  elastic  ;  like  our 
'that,'  it  may  be  a  relative  pronoun  of  any  gender  or  number, 
here  'who  '  or  '  what,'  or  it  may  be  a  conjunction,  here  'because.' 

The  various  translations  are  all  obscure,  but  they  are  generally 
understood  as  indicating  that  the  Hebrew  is  an  attempt  to  express 
the  independence,  the  self-sufficiency,  ihe  self-consistency  or  the 
eternity  of  God,  and  the  idea  that  the  nature  and  attributes  of 
God  transcend  thought  and  language. 

Thus  'I  am  that  I  am,'  God  is  an  ultimate  fact ;  He  cannot  be 
explained  by  anything  else,  but  only  by  Himself.  And,  again, 
'  I  am — always — that  which  I  am — now,  and  always  have  been,' 
as  in  the  New  Testament,  'Jesus  Christ,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day, 
and  for  ever.' 

Then.  I  'am,  because  I  am,'  there  is  no  cause  for  God's 
existence  outside  of  Himself. 

Then,  too,  '  I  am  who  am/  God  is  pure  and  essential  being. 

And,  again,  'I  will  be  that  I  will  be,'  or  'I  become  that 
which  I  will,  or  choose  to,  become';  God  is  lord  of  His  own 
destiny. 

The  very  vagueness  and  ambiguity  of  the  words  invest  the 
Divine  Name  with  a  certain  mystery  which  adds  to  its  sugges- 
tiveness.  At  the  same  time,  this  attempt  to  express  abstract 
ideas  about  God  points  to  a  comparatively  late  origin  for  this 
verse  ;  it  is  more  in  accordance  with  Deuieyonoiny  and  2  Isaia/i 
than  with  J  and  E  ;  so  that  here,  probably,  the  verse  is  an  editorial 
addition,  and  originally  verse  15  was  the  answer  to  the  question 
in  verse  13  ;  cf  on  xvi    i, 

15.  moreover,  probably  an  addition  necessitated  by  the  intro- 
duction of  verse  14  ;  '  moreover'  often  appears  to  be  an  indication 


EXODUS  3.  16-18.     E  J  59 

children  of  Israel,  ^  The  Lord,  the  God  of  your  fathers, 
the  God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob,  hath  sent  me  unto  you  :  this  is  my  name  for  ever, 
and  this  is  my  memorial  unto  all  generations.  [J]  Go,  iG 
and  gather  the  elders  of  Israel  together,  and  say  unto 
them,  The  Lord,  the  God  of  your  fathers,  the  God  of 
Abraham,  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob,  hath  appeared  unto  me, 
saying,  I  have  surely  visited  you,  and  seen  that  which  is 
done  to  you  in  Egypt :  and  I  have  said,  I  will  bring  you  17 
up  out  of  the  affliction  of  Egypt  unto  the  land  of  the 
Canaanite,  and  the  Hittite^,  and  the  Amorite,  and  the 
Perizzite,  and  the  Hivite,  and  the  Jebusite,  unto  a  land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  And  they  shall  hearken  18 
to  thy  voice :  and  thou  shalt  come,  thou  and  the  elders 
of  Israel,  unto  the  king  of  Egypt,  and  ye  shall  say  unto 
•*  Heb.  Je/iovah,  from  the  same  root  as  Ehyeh. 

of  the  presence  or  neighbourhood  of  an  editorial  addition,  or  of 
the  combination  of  short  portions  of  different  sources. 

The  ZiOBD.  In  Hebrew  YHWH,  the  personal  name  of  the 
God  of  Israel.  The  vowels  are  not  given  in  the  Hebrew  text, 
and  the  original  pronunciation  is  not  known  ;  the  English /t/zoz/a/t 
is  not  a  Hebrew  form,  but  is  due  to  a  mistake.  On  various 
grounds,  amongst  others  the  etymolog}'  in  the  previous  verse,  it 
is  generally  believed  that  the  Name  was  pronounced  Yahivch  ; 
but  this  may  have  been  a  Hebraized  form  of  a  non-Hebrew  name. 
The  fact  that  the  Name  is  also  found  in  Hebrew  and  other 
languages  in  the  forms  Yah  and  Yahu  is  no  evidence  against 
Yahweh  as  the  ordinary  Hebrew  pronunciation.  See  further  on 
Gen.  ii.  4. 

God  of  your  fathers.  The  Yahweh  now  made  known  to 
Israel  is  identified  with  the  God  worshipped  by  the  Patriarchs. 

memorial,  that  bj'  which  one  is  remembered. 

the  elders,  of  a  tribe  or  town,  were  probably  the  sheikhs  or 
heads  of  families  and  clans,  and  formed  a  kind  of  governing 
council,  exercising  a  measure  of  local  authority.  The  prominence 
given  in  the  Pentateuch  to  '  the  elders  of  Israel '  is  often  regarded 
as  a  characteristic  of  the  Primitive  Document,  J. 

18.  thou  and  the  elders  of  Israel.     Note  the  absence  of  any 
reference  to  Aaron,  who  apparently  did  not  figure  in  J. 


6o  EXODUS  3.  19-22.     J  E 

him,  The  Lord,  the  God  of  the  Hebrews,  hath  met  with 
us  :  and  now  let  us  go,  we  pray  thee,  three  days'  journey 
into  the  wilderness,  that  we  may  sacrifice  to  the  Lord 

19  our  God.     [E]  And  I  know  that  the  king  of  Egypt  will 

20  not  give  you  leave  to  go,  no,  not  by  a  mighty  hand.  And 
I  will  put  forth  my  hand,  and  smite  Egypt  with  all  my 
wonders  which  I  will  do  in  the  midst  thereof :  and  after 

21  that  he  will  let  you  go.  And  I  will  give  this  people 
favour  in  the  sight  of  the  Egyptians  :  and  it  shall  come 

22  to  pass,  that,  when  ye  go,  ye  shall  not  go  empty  :  but 
every  woman  shall  ask  of  her  neighbour,  and  of  her  that 


The  LORD,  the  God  of  the  Hebrews,  hath  met  with  ns : 

the  experience  of  Moses  is  spoken  of  as  if  it  had  been  shared 
by  his  companions.  The  Septuagint  slightly  alters  the  text,  and 
translates  '  hath  called  for  us.' 

three  days'  journey  into  the  wilderness,  that  we  may 
sacrifice,  implying  that  they  would  return,  a  device  to  obtain  per- 
mission to  leave  Egypt,  another  characteristic  of  J.  'Three  days' 
journey'  from  Egj'pt  would  not  bring  them  to  Horeb  ;  the  phrase 
is  a  conventional  formula  for  a  short  journey.  The  God  of  the 
Hebrews  is  thought  of  as  dwelling  in  the  wilderness,  the  home  of 
the  people  before  their  settlement  in  Egypt  under  Joseph  and 
Jacob. 

19.  no,  not  by  a  mig'hty  hand.  This  does  not  make  sense ; 
Pharaoh  does  send  the  Israelites  away  'by  a  mighty  hand,'  either 
the  mighty  hand  of  God  compelling  him,  xxxii.  11,  or  his  own 
might}-  hand  with  which  he  drives  them  forth,  vi.  i,  where 
'strong'  represents  the  same  Hebrew  as  'mighty.'  We  should 
read  with  the  Septuagint  and  Vulgate  '  except  by  a  mighty  hand,' 
i.e.  under  Divine  compulsion. 

22.  ask.  This  root  shaal  is  also  found  in  the  sense  of 
'borrow,'  but  in  a  different  form.  It  is  just  possible  that  the 
writer  has  in  view  the  death  of  the  firstborn  ;  under  the  terror 
of  this  disaster  the  Egyptians  might  yield  to  the  demand  for  their 
valuables,  and  by  a  grim  irony  this  might  be  referred  to  as  giving 
the  Israelites  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  Egj'ptians.  But  even  if 
we  translate  'ask,'  it  is  easier  to  understand  'ask  as  a  loan.'  We 
might  connect  with  the  request  to  go  three  days'  journey  into 
the  wilderness  to  sacrifice.  The  jewels  and  raiment  would  be 
borrowed  for  the  women  and  children  to  wear  at  the  festival, 
on  the  understanding  that  they  would  come  back  at  the  end  of 


EXODUS  4.  2,  3.     E  J  61 

sojourneth  in  her  house,  jewels  of  silver,  and  jewels  of 
gold,  and  raiment :  and  ye  shall  put  them  upon  your  sons, 
and  upon  your  daughters;  and  ye  shall  spoil  the  Egyptians. 
[J]  And  Moses  answered  and  said,   But,  behold,  they  4 
will  not  believe  me,  nor  hearken  unto  my  voice  :  for  they 
will  say,  The  Lord  hath  not  appeared  unto  thee.     And  3 
the  Lord  said  unto  him.  What  is  that  in  thine  hand  ?  And 
he  said,  A  rod.     And  he  said,  Cast  it  on  the  ground.  3 
And  he  cast  it  on  the  ground,  and  it  became  a  ^  serpent ; 

*  Heb.  uahash. 

the  three  days,  and  return  the  borrowed  articles  to  their  owners. 
If  these  verses  are  independent  of  J  (of,  above  Sources,  &c.),  we 
must  imagine  the  Israelites  making  suitable  pretexts.  In  xi.  2, 
and  xii.  35,  the  people  generally  'ask,*  and  not  merely  the 
women. 

It  is  possible  to  devise  interpretations  which  would  justify  the 
ideas  of  verses  21,  22,  from  a  moral  standpoint ;  but  it  is  probable 
that  we  have  here  an  illustration  of  a  stage  of  morality  at  which 
no  scruples  were  felt  as  to  deceiving  a  heathen  enemy. 

her  neig'h.'bour.  The  Israelites  are  settled  amongst  the 
Egyptians,  a  feature  of  E. 

her  that  sojoxuiieth  in  her  house.  The  sojourner,  ger, 
in  later  times  was  a  foreign  client  or  dependent  of  a  family  ;  and 
perhaps  in  introducing  this  feature  the  writer  is  unconsciously 
reproducing  the  circumstances  of  his  own  period.  It  is  unlikely, 
though  not  impossible,  that  the  households  of  the  oppressed 
Israelites  should  include  Egyptian  dependents.  As  the  protection 
of  t\\Qger  was  an  imperative  duty  in  ancient  times,  it  is  apparently 
felt  that  the  sanctions  of  morality  may  be  altogether  set  aside  in 
the  case  of  Egyptians. 

raiment,  festival  clothing. 

spoil,  plunder. 
iv.  1.  toehold,  they  will  not  believe  me.  We  may  perhaps 
understand  this  with  the  Septuagint,  'If  or  'suppose  they  do 
not  believe  me.'  The  Septuagint  adds  at  the  end  of  the  verse, 
'  What  shall  I  say  unto  them  ? '  Moses'  experience  of  his  fellow 
countrymen  after  he  had  slain  the  Egyptian  would  suggest  that 
they  might  not  believe  him. 

2.  A  rod.  The  rod  here,  J,  is  an  object  operated  on  by  the 
wonder-working  gift,  not  as  in  E  and  P,  a  magic  rod  by  means  of 
which  signs  are  wrought. 

3.  it   toccame  a   serpent.     In  vii.  9-13  .la/on  performs  this 


62  EXODUS   J.  4-To.     J 

4  and  Moses  fled  from  before  it.  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Moses,  Put  forth  thine  hand^  and  take  it  by  the  tail  : 
(and  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  laid  hold  of  it,  and  it  be- 

5  came  a  rod  in  his  hand :)  that  they  may  believe  that  the 
Lord,  the  God  of  their  fathers,  the  God  of  Abraham,  the 
God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob,  hath  appeared  unto 

6  thee.  And  the  Lord  said  furthermore  unto  him,  Put  now 
thine  hand  into  thy  bosom.  And  he  put  his  hand  into 
his  bosom  :  and  when  he  took  it  out,  behold,  his  hand 

^  was  leprous,  as  white  as  snow.  And  he  said,  Put  thine 
hand  into  thy  bosom  again.  (And  he  put  his  hand  into 
his  bosom  again  ;  and  when  he  took  it  out  of  his  bosom, 

8  behold;  it  was  turned  again  as  his  other  flesh.)  And  it 
shall  come  to  pass,  if  they  will  not  believe  thee,  neither 
hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  first   sign,  that  they  will 

9  believe  the  voice  of  the  latter  sign.  And  it  shall  come 
to  pass,  if  they  will  not  believe  even  these  two  signs, 
neither  hearken  unto  thy  voice,  that  thou  shalt  take  of  the 
water  of  the  river^  and  pour  it  upon  the  dry  land :  and  the 
water  which  thou  takest  out  of  the  river  shall  become  blood 

lo  upon  the  dry  land.     And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  Oh 
Lord,  I  am  not  ^  eloquent,  neither  heretofore,  nor  since 
*Heb.  a  man  of  words. 

sign  before  Pharaoh,  and  the  magicians  of  Egypt  do  *  in  like 
manner  with  their  enchantments.'  Egyptian  conjurers  can  still 
render  snakes  rigid  like  a  rod. 

5.  that  they  may  believe.  The  construction  is  elliptical ;  we 
must  supply  some  such  words  as,  'And  Yahweh  said  to  Moses, 
Thus  shalt  thou  do  before  the  people,  that,  &c.' 

6,  7.  The  infliction  and  the  healing  of  leprosy  were  specially 
regarded  as  direct  acts  of  God,  so  that  Moses'  ability  to  produce 
and  remove  its  symptoms  would  be  a  convincing  proof  that  he  was 
invested  with  a  Divine  commission. 

9.  the  river,  the  Nile,  ye' or.  In  vii.  14-35  this  sign  on  a  large 
scale  is  performed  before  Pharaoh,  and  is  successfully  imitated 
by  the  magicians. 

10.  I  aan  not  eloquent.     Cf.  Isaiah's  sense  of  unworthiness  on 


EXODUS  4.  11-14.     JR  63 

thou  hast  spoken  unto  thy  servant :    for  I  am  slow  of 
speech,  and  of  a  slow  tongue.     And  the  Lord  said  unto  1 1 
him.  Who  hath  made  man's   mouth  ?   or  who   maketh 
a  man  dumb,  or  deaf,  or  seeing,  or  blind  ?  is  it  not  I  the 
Lord?  Now  therefore  go,  and  I  will  be  with  thy  mouth.  12 
and  teach  thee  what  thou  shalt  speak.     [R]  And  he  said,  15 
Oh  Lord,  send,  I  pray  thee,  by  the  hand  of  him  whom 
thou  wilt  send.     And  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  14 
against    Moses,  and   he  said.   Is  there  not  Aaron  thy 

account  of  sin,  Isa.  vi.  5  ;  Jeremiah's  shrinking  from  the  pro- 
phetic office  because  of  his  youth,  Jer.  i.  6  ;  and  Ezekiel's  reluc- 
tance imphed  in  Ezek.  i,  i,  ii.  6,  &c. 

nor  since  thou  hast  spoken  unto  thy  servant.  As  Moses 
had  been  endowed  with  supernatural  power  to  work  wonders  ,• 
he  might  also  have  been  rendered  eloquent. 

13-16.  In  the  J  narratives  Moses  speaks  for  himself,  and 
Aaron  does  not  appear,  e.  g.  vii.  16,  viii,  i,  &c.,  though  in  many 
places  Aaron's  name  has  been  added  by  an  editor,  e.  g.  viii.  8. 
The  position  of  Aaron  in  E  is  doubtful ;  see  on  xxxii ;  but  he  is  not 
Moses'  spokesman  ;  that  position  is  expressly  assigned  to  him  in 
P,  vii.  I  if.  Thus  these  verses  seem  to  be  an  editorial  addition  ; 
see  further  on  verse  14. 

13.  send,  I  pray  thee,  &c.  A  polite  attempt  to  decline  the 
commission  ;  hence  the  anger  of  Yahweh. 

by  the  hand.  A  conventional  phrase  for  agency,  used  where 
the  hand  is  not  actually  in  question. 

14.  Aaron.  Hebrew  ''Aharon  '  ;  the  origin  and  meaning  of  the 
name  are  unknown.  Various  improbable  derivations  have  been 
suggested,  e.g.  'illuminated,'  'lascivious,'  the  latter  (Gesenius) 
is  obtained  from  the  meaning  of  a  cognate  word  in  Syriac,  and 
might  receive  some  slight  support  from  the  incident  of  the  Golden 
Calf,  xxxii.  25.  A  view  adopted  by  many  scholars  is  that  'Aharon 
is  a  variant  of  'a;'o«,  '  ark  '  ;  either  Aaron  is  the  ark  perse  nified  '-, 
or  the  name  arose  from  the  description  of  the  priesthood  of  the 
ark  as  hue  ha-^aron,  '  Sons  of  the  Ark,'  which  became  One  'aharon, 
the  ^aharon  being  eventually  understood  as  a  proper  name  oi 
a  person  ^  In  that  case  Aaron  cannot  have  figured  in  the  original 
tradition  of  the  Exodus.     Aaron  is  frequently  mentioned  in  the 

^  E.  Meyer,  Die  Israeliten  und  ihre  Nachbarstdmme,  p.  93. 
3  E6. 


64  EXODUS  i.  15-17.     RE 

brother  the  Levite?  I  know  that  he  can  speak  well. 
And  also,  behold,  he  cometh  forth  to  meet  thee :   and 

15  when  he  seeth  thee,  he  will  be  glad  in  his  heart.  And 
thou  shalt  speak  unto  him,  and  put  the  words  in  his 
mouth  :   and  I   will   be   with  thy  mouth,  and  with  his 

16  mouth,  and  will  teach  you  what  ye  shall  do.  And  he 
shall  be  thy  spokesman  unto  the  people :  and  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  that  he  shall  be  to  thee  a  mouth,  and  thou 

17  shalt  be  to  him  as  God.      [E]  And  thou  shalt  take  in 

Psalms  in  connexion  with  Moses ;  but  is  only  once  referred  to  in 
the  Prophets,  Mic.  vi.  4,  where  Moses,  Aaron,  and  Miriam  are 
spoken  of  as  leading  the  people  out  of  Egypt.  See  further  in  the 
Introduction,  p.  6. 

the  Levite  here  is  not  ^  member  of  the  tribe  of  Levi '  in 
which  sense  Moses  also  was  a  Levite  ;  but,  as  in  the  older  litera- 
ture and  in  Deuteroitomy,  '  Levite '  is  an  official  title  for  '  priest.' 
This  usage  was  superseded  by  P,  in  which  '  Levites'  are  temple 
servants  inferior  to  the  priests.  The  presence  of  the  term  here 
is  very  difficult ;  its  use,  as  we  have  seen,  is  not  that  of  P ; 
Aaron  is  never  called  'the  Levite'  elsewhere  ;  and  the  paragraph 
does  not  fit  into  the  original  J  or  E  (see  above).  It  does  not 
seem  likely  that  there  was  an  ancient  tradition  in  which  Aaron 
bore  this  title  as  priest.  There  is  no  certain  explanation  of  the 
difficulty ;  the  word  *  the  Levite '  might  be  got  rid  of  by  simple 
omission ;  or  by  a  very  slight  emendation  of  the  text  ^  we  might 
read,  '  Is  there  not  Aaron  thy  brother  ?  Dost  thou  not  know,  &c.' 
Or  perhaps  the  addition  was  written  soon  after  the  publication  of 
the  Priestly  Code  by  an  editor  who  adopted  its  theory  of  the 
history,  but  was  accustomed  to  the  language  of  the  Deuteronomic 
school. 

15b=i2b. 

16.  lie  shall  be  thy  spokesman  nnto  the  people :  lit.  '  he  shall 
speak  for  thee  to  the  people.*  We  do  not  find  Aaron  acting  as 
Mose's  spokesman  to  the  people  except  in  verse  30,  which  is 
probably  also  an  addition. 

thou  Shalt  he  to  him  as  Ood.  Moses  is  inspired,  and  his 
words  are  as  the  words  of  God  ;  Aaron  is  a  mere  mouthpiece. 
The  arrangement  is  not  a  concession  to  Moses'  timorous  unbelief, 

^  Read  «bn  hP,  giving  '  do  I  not  know  .•* '  for  ^'^':Tf,  hiwy,  givinc; 
'the  Levite,  I  know';  I',  'not,'  is  sometimes  written  by  mistake  /«•, 
'  to  him.' 


EXODUS  4.  18.     E  65 

thine  hand  this  rod,  wherewith  thou  shalt  do  the 
signs. 

And  Moses  went  and  returned  to  '^Jethro  his  father  18 
"^  B.Gh.  Jethet . 

as  one  might  expect  from  what  precedes  ;  but  rather  places  him 
on  a  pinnacle  of  solitary  grandeur.  In  vii.  i,  P,  it  is  said  that 
Aaron  is  Moses'  prophet,  and  Moses  is  as  God  to  Pharaoh. 

17.  tliis  rod,  wherewith  thou  shalt  do  the  signs.  Here,  in  E, 
the  rod  in  the  hand  of  Moses  is  an  instrument  for  working  wonders  ; 
cf.  verse  2.  In  P  the  rod  works  wonders  in  the  hand  of  Aaron. 
This  verse  ma}'  have  been  the  continuation  in  E  of  iii.  22,  or 
some  portion  of  E  may  have  been  omitted  in  order  to  identify 
*  this  rod  '  with  the  ordinary  shepherd's  staff  of  Moses  in  verse  2. 
In  the  original,  E,  Moses  received  a  magic  rod  from  God,  thus  in 
verse  20b  it  is  called  the  'rod  of  God.'  In  P  the  rod  is  simply 
Aaron's  rod  as  it  is  Moses'  in  J  ;   cf.  vii.  9  and  iv.  2. 

iv.  18-31.    Moses  Returns  to  Egypt. 
(A  narrative  compiled  from  J  and  E.) 
18  (E).     Moses  obtains  permission  from  Jethro  to  return  to 

Egypt- 

19,  20  a  (J).  At  the  command  of  Yahweh  Moses  sets  out  for 
Egypt  with  his  wife  and  sons  (see  notes). 

20  b  (E).     Moses  takes  the  rod  of  God  with  him. 

21  (R\  Yahweh  bids  Moses  perform  the  signs  before  Pha- 
raoh ;  Yahweh,  however,  will  harden  Pharaoh's  heart,  so  that  he 
will  not  let  the  people  go. 

22,  23  (R).  Moses  is  to  threaten  Pharaoh  with  the  death  of 
his  firstborn  son, 

24-6  (J).  On  the  way  Yahweh  seeks  to  kill  Moses,  but  is 
appeased  by  the  circumcision  of  his  son. 

27,  28  (E).  At  the  command  of  Yahweh  Aaron  meets  Moses 
in  the  mount  of  God, 

29-31  (J).  Moses  (see  notes)  delivers  his  message  to  the 
Elders  of  Israel,  and  performs  the  signs  before  them. 

Sources,  &c.  Verses  21-23  o^  22,  23  are  often  given  to  J,  and 
27,  28  sometimes  to  R,  otherwise  there  is  substantial  agreement 
as  to  the  analysis. 

Verse  27  can  hardly  be  the  original  sequel  of  the  previous 
verses,  in  which  Moses  has  left  '  the  mountain  of  God,'  returned 
to  Jethro,  started  for  Egypt,  and  made  some  progress  on  his 
journey.  In  view  of  the  nomadic  character  of  Midian,  our  own 
uncertainty  as  to  the  geography-,  and  the  possibly  vague  ideas  of 
some  of  the  Pentateuchal  writers  on  that  subject — in  view  of  all 


66  EXODUS  4.  19-21.     E  J  E  R 

in  law,  and  said  unto  him,  Let  me  go,  I  pray  thee,  and 
return  unto  my  brethren  which  are  in  Egypt,  and  see 
whether  they  be  yet  alive.     And  Jethro  said  to  Moses, 

19  Go  in  peace.  [J]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses  in 
Midian,  Go,  return  into  Egypt :  for  all  the  men  are  dead 

20  which  sought  thy  life.  And  Moses  took  his  wife  and  his 
sons,  and  set  them  upon  an  ass,  and  he  returned  to  the 
land  of  Egypt  :    [E]  and  Moses  took  the  rod  of  God  in 

21  his  hand.  [R]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  When 
thou  goest  back  into  Egypt,  see  that  thou  do  before 
Pharaoh  all  the  wonders  which  I  have  put  in  thine  hand  : 


these  considerations  we  cannot  say  definitely  that  'the  mountain 
of  God '  did  not  lie  on  the  way  from  Midian  to  Egypt,  But  it 
would  be  natural  to  connect  the  meeting  of  Moses  and  Aaron  on 
'the  mountain  of  God'  with  the  appearance  of  God  to  Moses 
on  that  mountain.  Perhaps  verses  27,  28  were  originally  the 
immediate  continuation  of  verse  16,  and  have  been  transposed  by 
a  later  editor. 

18.  Jethro  Ms  father  in  law.  In  the  different  authorities 
the  spelling  varies  here  between  jethro  and  Jether. 

my  brethren,  &c.  Brethren  is  kinsfolk  generally  (Holzinger). 
Moses  would  hardly  think  it  possible  that  the  whole  nation  had 
been  exterminated.  Jethro  would  have  been  alarmed  if  he  had 
announced  his  real  mission  ;  he  therefore  pretends  that  he  is 
merely  paying  a  visit  to  his  family  to  see  how  they  fare.  The 
language  suggests  that  Moses  has  spent  a  long  time  with  Jethro. 

19.  The  Septuagint  inserts  ii.  32  a,  '  And  after  those  many 
days  the  king  of  Egypt  died,'  between  verses  18  and  19 ;  the 
clause  would  be  a  suitable  introduction  to  verse  19.  It  seems 
probable  that  verses  19,  20  a  in  the  original  J  followed  ii.  23  a  and 
preceded  the  appearance  of  Yahweh  in  the  Burning  Bush,  which 
would  then  take  place  as  Moses  was  on  his  way  to  Egypt. 

20.  his  sons.  Read  *  his  son  ' :  in  J,  ii.  22,  and  in  this  immediate 
context  in  verse  25,  Moses  has  only  one  son.  In  view  of  xviii. 
2-4,  E,  the  alteration  to  *  sons '  would  be  very  natural. 

rod  of  God:  cf.  verses  2  and  17. 

21.  In  verses  1-12  Moses  is  bidden  perform  the  signs  before 
the  people,  which  he  does  in  verse  30.  But  in  vii.  8  foil,  he  also 
performs  them  before  Pharaoh.  This  verse  was  probably  inserted 
by  an  editor  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  second  performance. 


EXODUS  4.  22-24.     R  J  67 

but  I  will  ^  harden  his  heart,  and  he  will  not  let  the  people 
go.     And  thou  shalt  say  unto  Pharaoh,  Thus  saith  the  22 
Lord,  Israel  is  my  son,  my  firstborn:  and  I  have  said  23 
unto  thee,  Let  my  son  go,  that  he  may  serve  me ;  and 
thou  hast  refused  to  let  him  go :  behold,  I  will  slay  thy  24 
son,  thy  firstborn.     [J]  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  way 
"■  Heb.  make  strong. 

I  will  harden  his  heart :  a  point  constantly  insisted  on  in 
Exodus.  Pharaoh's  stubbornness  was  necessary  in  order  that 
God  may  fully  display  His  power.  It  is  not  really  a  prolonged 
contest  between  God  and  Pharaoh  ;  God  might  have  compelled 
the  king  to  give  way  at  once,  he  only  persists  in  his  refusal 
because  God  hardens  his  heart.  On  the  theological  difficulty  cf. 
Introduction,  p.  5. 

22,  23  can  hardly  belong  to  either  J  or  E  at  this  point  of 
the  story  ;  they  have  no  connexion  with  the  context.  But  they 
may  have  belonged  to  a  later  stage  of  J,  e.  g.  xi.  4,  and  have  been 
transferred  here  by  the  editor ;  or  they  may  be  a  later  addition  : 
the  editor  seems  anxious  to  make  Moses'  instructions  complete 
by  including  references  to  the  leading  points  in  the  history  of  the 
sequel.  It  is  curious,  however,  that  the  words  '  I  will  slay  thy 
son,  thy  firstborn  '  are  immediately  followed  by  Yahweh's  attempt 
to  slay  Mose^  firstborn  ;  it  is  possible  that  the  presence  of  these 
verses  here  is  due  to  some  confusion  between  the  two  slayings  of 
the  firstborn. 

22.  Israel  is  my  son,  my  firstborn:  a  familiar  idea  in  the 
Old  Testament,  Deut.  xxxii.  6 ;  Isa.  i.  2  ;  Jer.  xxxi.  9 ;  Hos.  ii.  i. 

24-6.  This  incident  is  strange  and  unexpected.  Why  should 
Yahweh  seek  to  kill  the  man  whom  He  has  just  called  to  be  the 
deliverer  of  His  people?  Apparently  because  he  has  failed  to  cir- 
cumcize  his  son ;  but  this  explanation  does  not  seem  adequate. 
If  the  omission  was  a  crime  deserving  death,  why  had  Yahweh 
chosen  the  culprit  as  His  agent  ?  The  narrative  must  belong  to 
tradition  so  ancient  that  even  the  author  of  the  Primitive  Docu- 
ment did  not  fully  understand  its  original  meaning  ;  he  probably 
introduced  it  in  connexion  with  his  theory  of  the  origin  of  cir- 
cumcision, to  prepare  the  way  for  Joshua  v.  2,  3'.  Originally 
the  story  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  context  in  which  it  now 
stands. 

This  struggle  in  the  night  between  Zipporah  and  Yahweh  is 

*  According  to  P,  Gen.  xvii,  the  law  of  circumcision  was  revealed  to 
Abraham. 

F    2 


68  EXODUS  4.  25.     J 

at  the  lodging  place,  that  the  Lord  met  him,  and  sought 

25  to  kill  him.     Then  Zipporah  took  a  flint,  and  cut  off  the 

foreskin  of  her  son,  and  ^  cast  it  at  his  feet ;  and  she  said, 

"  Heb.  uiade  it  touch. 

a  parallel   to  the  wrestling  of  Jacob  by  night  with   Elohim   at 
Penuel ;  see  on  Gen.  xxxii. 

The  story  was  no  doubt  connected  with  an  ancient  theory  of  cir- 
cumcision, but  with  a  theory  that  J  did  not  endorse,  and  has 
obscured  by  omissions  and  alterations.  We  have  not  ventured  to 
attempt  a  complete  reconstruction  of  the  ancient  story  *. 

24.  the  lodg'ing'  place,  lit.  '  the  place  where  one  spends  the 
night,'  used  Gen.  xlii.  27,  xliii.  21,  of  the  first  halting-place  of 
Joseph's  brethren  after  leaving  Egypt.  It  might  mean  a  khan,  or 
resting-place  for  travellers,  chiefly  an  enclosed  courtyard  ;  but 
it  seems  more  likel}'  that  here  it  is  simplj^  a  camping-ground. 
;?S'a  flint.  C{.  the  flint  knives  for  circumcision  in  Josh.  v.  2,  4  ; 
th^  use  of  flint  knives  was  doubtless  a  survival  of  primitive  ritual. 
In  Egypt  flint  knives  were  used  for  circumcision  and  other 
ceremonial  purposes. 

cast  it  at  Ms  feet,  we  should  rather  follow  the  literal  ren- 
dering of  R.V.  marg.,  '  made  it  touch  His  feet,'  i.  e,  she  touched 
with  it  the  person  of  Yahweh,  and  the  touch  was  a  magic  spell 
which  made  Him  relinquish  His  purpose  of  slaying  Moses. 
Probably  at  one  time  circumcision  was  regarded  as  a  spell  which 
protected  a  new-born  child  from  hostile  spiritual  powers. 
Probably  '  made  to  touch  His  feet '  means  the  same  as  '  touched 
the  hollow  of  His  thigh,'  in  Gen.  xxxii.  25  ;  *  made  to  touch,'  and 
*  touched '  are  the  same  in  the  consonantal  text  We  have 
pointed  out  in  the  notes  on  Gen.  xxxii  that,  in  the  original  story, 
Jacob  touches  the  hollow  of  the  thigh  of  the  Elohim  with  whom 
he  contends,  and  thus  overcomes  Him.  But  as  there  the  Penta- 
teuchal  writers  have  partly  reversed  the  relations  of  the  antagonists, 
so  here  also  they  probably  understood  'his  feet'  as  the  feet  of 
Moses.  This  view  is  also  taken  by  many  modern  scholars  ;  e.g. 
Baentsch  supposes  that  Yahweh  was  angry  because  both  Moses 
and  his  son  were  uncircumcized,  and  that  the  '  touching'  of  Moses 
symbolically  included  him  in  the  rite,  so  that  the  circumcision 
of  the  son  was  accepted  for  both.  The  narrative  is  often  under- 
stood as  explaining  how  the  more  primitive  custom  of  circum- 
cizing  adults  before  marriage  was  changed  to  the  circumcizing  of 
children. 

^  The  interpretation  mainly  follows  E.  Meyer,  Die  Israeliten, 
Sic,  p.  59. 


EXODUS  4.  26-30.     J  E  J  R  J  R  J  6y 

Surely  a  bridegroom  of  blood  art  thou  to  me.     So  he  let  26 
him  alone.     Then  she  said,  *  A  bridegroom  of  blood  art 
thoii^  because  of  the  circumcision. 

[E]  And  the  Lord  said  to  Aaron,  Go  into  the  wilder-  27 
ness  to  meet  Moses.     And  he  went,  and  met  him  in  the 
mountain  of  God,   and  kissed  him.     And  Moses  told  28 
Aaron  all  the  words  of  the  Lord  wherewith  he  had  sent 
him,  and  all  the  signs  wherewith  he  had  charged  him. 
[J]  And  Moses  [R]  and  Aaron  [J]  went  and  gathered  29 
together  all  the  elders  of  the  children  of  Israel :  [R]  and  30 
Aaron  spake  all  the  words  which  the  Lord  had  spoken 
unto  Moses,  [J]  and  did  the  signs  in  the  sight  of  the 

*0r,  A  bridegroom  of  blood  in  regard  of  the  circumcision 

a  bridegroom  of  blood.  In  the  original  story  this  would 
refer  to  Yahweh  in  the  first  instance,  and  probably  be  transferred 
to  human  bridegrooms.  The  original  no  doubt  made  it  clear  how 
it  applied  to  Yahweh,  but  J  has  judiciously  suppressed  the  expla- 
nation ^  intending  that  the  phrase  should  be  applied  to  Moses, 
The  '  blood '  is  that  due  to  circumcision  ;  and  the  phrase  was 
understood  as  *  the  bridegroom  who  w-as  the  cause  of  the  shedding 
of  that  blood.' 

26.  he  let  him  alone:  Yahweh  refrained  from  slaying  Moses. 
A  bridegroom  of  blood  aii  thou,  because  of  the  circum- 
cision, rather  as  R.V.  marg.,  'A  bridegroom  of  blood  in  regard  of 
the  circumcision,'  or  'A  bridegroom  of  circumcision-blood,'  an 
explanation  of  'A  bridegroom  of  blood.'  The  longer  phrase  was 
probably  derived  from  the  ancient  ritual  of  circumcision. 

27.  Aaron.  Even  if  '  Aaron  thy  brother  the  Levite  '  belongs, 
as  some  hold,  to  the  ancient  tradition,  the  introduction  of  Aaron 
is  abrupt,  and  the  information  about  him  meagre  in  the  extreme. 
Possibly  something  has  been  omitted  in  the  compilation. 

29,  30.  From  a  comparison  v/ith  other  passages  of  J  in  which 
Moses  speaks  for  himself,  e.  g.  v.  22,  viii.  i,  9,  &c.,  it  seems  that 
here  and  elsewhere  Aaron's  name  in  J  is  an  addition  of  the 
editor  ;  here,  for  instance,  the  combination  with  verses  27,  28 
would  almost  necessitate  the  insertion.  Verses  29-31  narrate 
tJie  fulfilment  of  the  command  given  in  iii.  16  foil.,  where  there  is 
no  mention  of  Aaron. 


For  a  possible  conjecture  see  reference  above  to  Meyer. 


70  EXODUS  4.  31—5.  3-     J  E  J 

31  people.  And  the  people  believed  :  and  when  they  heard 
that  the  Lord  had  visited  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
that  he  had  seen  their  affliction,  then  they  bowed  their 

6  heads  and  worshipped.  [E]  And  afterwards  Moses  and 
Aaron  came,  and  said  unto  Pharaoh,  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  the  God  of  Israel.     Let  my  people  go,  that  they 

2  may  hold  a  feast  unto  me  in  the  wilderness.  And 
Pharaoh  said.  Who  is  the  Lord,  that  I  should  hearken 
unto  his  voice  to  let  Israel  go?  I  know  not  the  Lord, 

3  and  moreover  I  will  not  let  Israel  go.  [J]  And  they 
said.  The  God  of  the  Hebrews  hath  met  with  us  :  let  us 
go,  we  pray  thee,  three  days'  journey  into  the  wilderness, 

The  original  J  would  read,  *  and  Moses  went  and  gathered  to- 
gether all  the  elders  of  the  Israelites,  and  spake  all  the  words 
which  Yahweh  had  spoken,  and  did  the  signs,  &c.' 

V.   1 — vi.  I.     Unsuccessful  Appeal  to  Pharaoh. 
(A  narrative  from  J,  with  small  additions  from  E.) 
v.   I,  2  (E).     Moses  and  Aaron  request  permission  to  hold  a  feast 
in  the  wilderness  ;  Pharaoh  refuses. 

3  (J).  [Moses  and  the  Elders]  (see  note)  request  permission  to 
go  three  days'  journey  into  the  wilderness  to  sacrifice  to  Yahweh. 

4  (E).  The  king  of  Egypt  reproaches  Moses  and  Aaron  with 
encouraging  the  Israelites  to  neglect  their  work. 

5  (J).  Pharaoh  reproaches  [Moses  and  the  Elders]  with  en- 
couraging the  Israelites  to  neglect  their  work. 

6-9  (J).  Pharaoh  bids  the  taskmasters  compel  the  Israelites 
to  find  their  own  straw,  and  yet  make  the  same  tale  of  bricks 
as  before. 

10-14  (J).  The  taskmasters  obey  ;  when  the  tale  of  bricks  is 
not  made  up,  the  Israelite  foremen  are  beaten. 

15-ig  (J).     The  foremen  appeal  in  vain  to  Pharaoh. 

20-vi.  I  (J).  The  foremen  reproach  Moses'  who  appeals  to 
Yahweh.     Yahweh  promises  deliverance. 

Sources,  &c.     Note  that  3  repeats  i,  2,  and  5  repeats  4. 

2.  Who  is  the  Ziord.  This  is  not  a  request  for  information, 
but  an  expression  of  contempt. 

3.  they  said.  'They'  ^  Moses  and  the  Elders;  cf.  iii.  18. 
A  statement  in  J  that  after  the  interview  of  iv.  29-31  Moses  and 
the  Elders  went  to  Pharaoh  has  apparently  been  replaced  by 
verses  i  and  2. 


EXODUS  5.  4-12.     J  E  J  71 

and  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord  our  God ;  lest  he  fall  upon 
us  with  pestilence,  or  with  the  sword.     [E]  And  the  king  4 
of  Egypt  said  unto  them,  Wherefore  do  ye,  Moses  and 
Aaron,  loose  the  people  from  their  works  ?  get  you  unto 
your  burdens.    [J]  And  Pharaoh  said.  Behold,  the  people  5 
of  the  land  are  now  many,  and  ye  make  them  rest  from 
their  burdens.     And  the  same  day  Pharaoh  commanded  6 
the  taskmasters  of  the  people,  and  their  officers,  saying. 
Ye  shall  no  more  give  the  people  straw  to  make  brick,  7 
as  heretofore  :   let  them  go  and  gather  straw  for  them- 
selves.    And  the  tale  of  the  bricks,  which  they  did  make  8 
heretofore,  ye  shall  lay  upon  them  ;  ye  shall  not  diminish 
aught   thereof:    for   they  be   idle;    therefore   they  cry, 
saying,  Let  us  go  and  sacrifice  to  our  God.     Let  heavier  9 
work  be  laid  upon  the  men,  that  they  may  labour  therein  ; 
and  let  them  not  regard  lying  words.     And  the  task-  10 
masters  of  the  people  went  out,  and  their  officers,  and 
they  spake  to  the  people,  saying.  Thus  saith  Pharaoh, 
I  will  not  give  you  straw.     Go  yourselves,  get  you  straw  1 1 
where  ye  can   find  it :  for  nought  of  your  work  shall  be 
diminished.      So    the    people    were    scattered    abroad  12 

with  the  sword,  by  stirring  up  enemies  against  them. 

5.  the  people  of  the  land,  a  curious  expression  for  foreign 
slaves.  It  is  usually  a  half-contemptuous  term  for  '  the  common 
people.'  The  writer  makes  Pharaoh  speak  from  the  standpoint  of 
a  native  tyrant  like  Rehoboam. 

6.  taskmasters :  see  iii.  7. 

and  their  officers.  Here  and  in  verse  10  these  words  seem  to 
be  an  editorial  addition  ;  the  '  officers  '  are  introduced  and  described 
in  verse  14  as  if  they  are  mentioned  for  the  first  time.  The 
taskmasters  were  Egyptians,  the  'officers'  native  foremen. 

7.  straw  to  make  brick :  Egyptian  bricks  were  usually  unburnt, 
and  mixed  with  short  pieces  of  straw  ^ 

8.  tale,  number. 

*  Erman,  Life  in  Ancient  Egypt,  p.  417,  Eng.  tr. 


72  EXODUS  5.  13-23.     JR  J 

throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt  to  gather  stubble  for 

13  straw.  And  the  taskmasters  were  urgent,  saying,  Fulfil 
your  works,  your  daily  tasks,  as  when  there  was  straw. 

14  And  the  officers  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  Pharaoh's 
taskmasters  had  set  over  them,  were  beaten,  '"^and  de- 
manded, Wherefore  have  ye  not  fulfilled  your  task  both 
yesterday  and    to-day,  in   making  brick  as  heretofore? 

15  Then  the  officers  of  the  children  of  Israel  came  and  cried 
unto  Pharaoh,  saying,  Wherefore  dealest  thou  thus  with 

t6  thy  servants?  There  is  no  straw  given  unto  thy  servants, 
and  they  say  to  us,  Make  brick  :  and,  behold,  thy  servants 

17  are  beaten;  but  the  fault  is  in  thine  own  people.  But 
he  said,  Ye  are  idle,  ye  are  idle  :  therefore  ye  say,  Let  us 

18  go  and  sacrifice  to  the  Lord.  Go  therefore  now,  and 
work ;  for  there  shall  no  straw  be  given  you,  yet  shall  ye 

19  deliver  the  tale  of  bricks.  And  the  officers  of  the  children 
of  Israel  did  see  that  they  ^were  in  evil  case,  when  it 
was  said,  Ye  shall  not  minish  aught  from  your  hxiok's,,  your 

20  daily  tasks.    And  they  met  Moses  [R]  and  Aaron,  [J]  who 
31  stood  in  the  way,  as  they  came  forth  from  Pharaoh  :  and 

they  said  unto  them.  The  Lord  look  upon  you,  and 
judge  ;  because  ye  have  made  our  savour  to  be  abhorred 
in  the  eyes  of  Pharaoh,  and  in  the  eyes  of  his  servants, 

3  2  to  put  a  sword  in  their  hand  to  slay  us.  And  Moses 
returned  unto  the  Lord,  and  said.  Lord,  wherefore  hast 
thou  evil  entreated  this  people  .^  why  is  it  that  thou  hast 

23  sent  me?  For  since  I  came  to  Pharaoh  to  speak  in  thy 
*  Heb.  saying.  ^'  Or,  were  set  on  mischiefs  n-hcn  they  said 

12.  throngrhont  all  the  land  of  Egypt :  not  to  be  taken  literally . 
rather  'far  and  wide  in  the  land.' 

15.  unto  Pharaoh.  Direct  access  to  the  ruler  on  the  part  ol 
petitioners  of  humble  rank  is  comparatively  easy  in  the  East. 

20.  and  Aaron:  here  again  an  addition  ;  in  verse  23  it  is  Moses 
who  speaks. 


EXODUS  6.  1-5.     JP  73 

name,  he  hath  evil  entreated  this  people ;  neither  hast 
thou  delivered  thy  people  at  all.     x\nd  the  Lord  said  6 
unto  Moses,  Now  shalt  thou  see  what  I  will  do  to  Pharaoh : 
for  by  a  strong  hand  shall  he  let  them  go,  and  by  a  strong 
hand  shall  he  drive  them  out  of  his  land. 

[P]  And  God  spake  unto  Moses,  and  said  unto  him,  2 
I  am  JEHOVAH  :    and  I  appeared  unto  Abraham,  unto  3 
Isaac,  and  unto  Jacob,  as  ^  God  Almighty,  but  ^  by  my 
name  jehovah  I  was  not  ^  known  to  them.     And  I  have  4 
also  established  my  covenant  with  them,  to  give  them 
the    land    of   Canaan,  the    land    of   their    sojournings, 
wherein  they  sojourned.     And  moreover  I  have  heard  the  5 
'^  Heb.  El  Sliaddai.  ^  Or,  as  to  ^  Or,  made  known 


vi.  1.  by  a  strong  hand.  The  phrase  in  the  first  case  means 
*  compelled  by  the  strong  hand  of  God'  ;  and  it  may  have  this 
meaning  in  the  second  case.  But  probably  the  last  clause  means 
that  Pharaoh  will  drive  out  the  people  with  violence  ;  in  xii.  39,  J, 
they  are  driven  out. 

vi.  2-12.     God's  Commission  to  Moses. 

(The  beginning  of  a  narrative  from  the  Priestly  Code,  parallel 
to  chaps,  iii,  iv.  The  narrative  is  continued  in  vi.  28 — vii.  7  ;  the 
intervening  vi.  13-27  are  a  later  addition.) 

2-3.     God  reveals  to  Moses  His  name  Yahweh. 

4-8.  For  the  sake  of  His  covenant  with  the  patriarchs  He  will 
deliver  Israel. 

9-12.  Moses  declares  God's  purpose  to  the  people,  but  they 
do  not  believe.  Yahweh  then  tells  him  to  demand  the  release  of 
Israel  from  Pharaoh.     Moses  declares  himself  unequal  to  the  task. 

Sources,  &c.  We  have  here  a  second  revelation  of  the  name 
Yahweh,  parallel  to  iii.  15.  The  latter  being  referred  to  E,  this 
will  belong  to  the  other  source,  which  avoids  Yahweh  in  Genesis, 
namely  to  P  ;  a  view  confirmed  by  the  reference  to  El  Shaddai, 
which  is  found  in  P  in  Genesis. 

3.  Shaddai  (marg.).  Probably  an  ancient  Divine  Name.  The 
origin  and  meaning  are  unknown  ;  it  is  sometimes  rendered 
•Almighty,'  as  in  the  text ;  see  further  on  Gen.  xvii.  i. 

by  my  name  JEHOVAH  I  was  not  known.     Therefore  the 
Priestly  Code  does  not  use  *  Yahweh  '  before  this  point. 

4.  my  covenant.     See  on  ii.  24. 


74  EXODUS  6.  6-13.     P  S 

groaning  of  the  children  of  Israel,  whom  the  Egyptians 
keep  in  bondage  ;  and  I  have  remembered  my  covenant. 

6  Wherefore  say  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  I  am  Jehovah, 
and  I  will  bring  you  out  from  under  the  burdens  of  the 
Egyptians,  and  I  will  rid  you  out  of  their  bondage,  and  I 
will  redeem  you  with  a  stretched  out  arm,  and  with  great 

7  judgements  :  and  I  will  take  you  to  me  for  a  people,  and 
I  will  be  to  you  a  God :  and  ye  shall  know  that  I  am 
Jehovah  your  God,  which  bringeth  you  out  from  under 

8  the  burdens  of  the  Egyptians.  And  I  will  bring  you  in 
unto  the  land,  concerning  which  I  lifted  up  my  hand  to 

9  give  it  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob  ;  and  I  will  give 
it  you  for  an  heritage  :  I  am  Jehovah.  And  Moses  spake 
so  unto  the  children  of  Israel :  but  they  hearkened  not 
unto  Moses  for  ^  anguish  of  spirit,  and  for  cruel  bondage. 

10,  II      And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Go  in,  speak 
unto  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt,  that  he  let  the  children  of 

12  Israel  go  out  of  his  land.  And  Moses  spake  before  the 
Lord,  saying.  Behold,  the  children  of  Israel  have  not 
hearkened  unto  me;  how  then  shall  Pharaoh  hear  me, 

13  who  am  of  uncircumcisedlips  ?  [S]  And  the  Lord  spake 

*  Or,  unpatience     Heb.  shortness  of  spirit. 


8.  lifted  up  my  liand,  part  of  the  ceremony  of  taking  an  oath  ; 
cf.  Gen.  xiv.  22. 

10.  that  he  let  the  children  of  Israel  go.  A  plain  demand 
for  their  release  without  the  subterfuge  as  to  sacrifice  or  feast 
resorted  to  in  J  and  E. 

12.  Tincirctixucised  lips,  a  figurative  expression  for  lips  not 
properly  prepared  to  deliver  a  Divine  message  ;  circumcision  fitted 
men  to  belong  to  the  people  of  God.  In  Jer.  vi.  lo  the  uncircum- 
cized  ear  cannot  hear.     Cf.  iv.  lo. 

vi.  13-27.     Genealogies. 

(An  addition  made  after  the  compilation  of  the  Priestly  Code, 
or  perhaps  after  the  combination  of  the  latter  with  the  earlier 
documents.) 


EXODUS  6.  14,  15.     S  75 

unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,  and  gave  them  a  charge 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  unto  Pharaoh  king  of 
Egypt,  to  bring  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt. 

These  are  the  heads  of  their  fathers'  houses  :  the  sons  14 
of  Reuben  the  firstborn  of  Israel ;  Hanoch,  and  Pallu, 
Hezron,  and  Carmi  :   these  are  the  families  of  Reuben. 
And   the   sons  of  Simeon  ;    Jemuel,    and  Jamin,    and  15 
Ohad,  and  Jachin,  and  Zohar,  and  Shaul  the  son  of  a 
Canaanitish  woman :    these  are  the  families  of  Simeon. 


13.  Introduction. 

14.  Clans  of  Reuben. 

15.  Clans  of  Simeon. 

16-25.   Clans  of  Levi,  with  special  reference  to  the  genealogy  of 
Moses  and  Aaron. 
26-7.    Conclusion. 

Sources,  &c.  These  verses  are  shown  to  be  a  later  addition  by 
the  fact  that  they  interrupt  the  sequence  of  the  story. 

It  should  be  noted  that  some  of  the  names  indicate  clans,  and 
not  individuals  ;  e.  g.  Mushi,  the  Mushitesor  Mosesites,  apparently 
a  clan  which  once  traced  its  descent  to  Moses.  Some  of  the 
names  are  connected  with  places,  and  indicate  Levitical  clans 
dwelling  there ;  e.  g.  Hebron  and  Libni,  the  men  of  Libnah. 
Many  of  the  names,  too,  were  current  amongst  the  Levites  or 
elsewhere  at  various  periods  of  the  history,  including  the  time 
after  the  Exile.  These  features  indicate  that  the  genealogy  more 
or  less  represents  the  Levitical  families  and  their  relationships 
after  the  Exile. 

The  possible  presence  of  Egyptian  names — Assir,  Putiel, 
Phinehas,  may  indicate  an  Egyptian  influence  upon  the  priest- 
hood of  Jerusalem. 

The  writer  has  taken  the  beginning  of  Gen.  xlvi.  8ff.  and 
expanded  the  section  on  Levi  from  Numbers.  He  probably  only 
retained  the  verses  on  Reuben  and  Simeon  for  the  sake  of  an 
introduction,  his  object  being  to  give  a  genealogy  of  Moses  and 
Aaron. 

Verses  14-16  a  are  substantially  a  repetition  of  Gen.  xlvi.  8  a~ii, 
which  see. 

14.  fathers'  houses,  clans  or  families. 


76  EXODUS  0.  16-22.     S 

1 6  And  these  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Levi  according 
to  their  generations  ;  Gershon,  and  Kohath,  and  Merari : 
and  the  years  of  the  life  of  Levi  were  an  hundred  thirty 

17  and   seven    years.    The  sons  of  Gershon;   Libni   and 
iS  Shimei^  according  to  their  families.     And  the  sons  of 

Kohath ;  Amram,  and  Izhar,  and  Hebron,  and  Uzziel : 

and  the  years  of  the  life  of  Kohath  were  an  hundred 

Kj  thirty  and  three  years.    And  the  sons  of  Merari;  Mahli 

and  Mushi.     These  are  the  families  of  the  Levites  ac- 

20  cording  to  their  generations.  And  Amram  took  him 
Jochebed  his  father's  sister  to  wife ;  and  she  bare  him 
Aaron  and  Moses:   and  the  years  of  the  life  of  Amram 

21  were  an  hundred  and  thirty  and  seven  years.     And  the 
2  3  sons  of  Izhar;    Korah,  and  Nepheg,  and  Zichri.     And 

Verses  16-19,  20  consist  of  Num.  iii.  17-20,  xxvi.  59,  P,  with  the 
lengths  of  the  lives  added.  In  Numbers  Jochebed  is  clearly 
intended  to  be  the  actual  daughter,  not  merely  the  descendant  of 
Levi.  In  Lev.  xviii.  12,  xx.  19  the  marriage  of  an  aunt  and  nephew 
is  forbidden ;  accordingly  in  the  Septuagint  here  Amram  is 
Jochebed's  cousin,  and  this  may  have  been  the  original  reading 
(Cheyne,  EB.).  The.  'Jo'  in  Jochebed  is  probably  a  contraction 
for  '  Yahweh,'  so  that  the  name  means  '  Yahweh  is  my  glory.' 
If  so,  we  are  confronted  with  the  difficulty  that  Moses'  mother 
bears  a  name  compounded  from  a  Divine  name  which,  according 
to  P,  was  first  revealed  to  Moses.  Jochebed,  however,  only 
occurs  in  these  two  passages,  both  of  which  are  from  additions  to 
P ;  and  an  editor  supplementing  P  may  have  forgotten  P's  theory 
on  this  point. 

20.  Aaron  and  Moses,  as  if  Aaron  were  the  firstborn,  in  con- 
tradiction to  ii.  r,  2^    In  vii.  7  Aaron  is  the  elder  brother. 

21.  Korah,  identified  in  Num.  xvi.  i  with  one  of  the  leaders  of 
a  rebellion  against  Moses,  who  was  slain  for  his  insubordination. 
To  remove  any  difficult^r  as  to  the  genealogies,  a  late  note,  Num. 
xxvi.  II,  states  that  his  children  did  not  perish  with  him.  See 
further  on  Num.  xvi,  xxvi. 

Nepheg,  not  mentioned  elsewhere  ;  also  the  name  of  a  sort  of 
David,  a  Sam.  v.  15. 

Zichri,  not  mentioned  elsewhere,  but  occurs  as  the  name  of 
several  other  persons,  some  of  them  priests  or  Levites.  It  may 
be  a  contraction  for  Zechariah. 


EXODUS  G.  23-25.     S  77 

the  sons  of  Uzziel  ;    Mishael,  and  Elzaphan,  and  Sithri. 
And  Aaron  took  him  Elisheba,  the  daughter  of  Ammi-  23 
nadab,  the  sister  of  Nahshon,  to  wife  ;   and  she  bare  him 
Nadab  and  Abihu,  Eleazar  and  Ithamar.     And  the  sons  24 
of  Korah  ;  Assir,  and  Elkanah,  and  Abiasaph  ;  these  are 
the  families  of  the  Korahites.     And  Eleazar  Aaron's  son  25 
took  him  one  of  the  daughters  of  Putiel  to  wife  ;    and 

Mishael  and  Elzaphan  figure  in  the  narrative  in  Lev.  x.  4. 
There  is  a  Levite  Mishael  in  Neh.  viii.  4,  and  one  of  Daniel's 
companions,  better  known  as  Meshek,  was  named  Mishael. 
Elzaphan  also  occurs  in  Num.  iii.  30,  i  Chron,  xv.  8,  and 
perhaps  2  Chron.  xxix.  13.  There  was  also  a  prince  of  Zebulun 
of  that  name,  Num.  xxxiv.  25. 

Sithri,  only  mentioned  here. 

23.  Elisheba,  the  daughter  of  Amminadab,  the  sister  of 
Nahshon.  Elisheba  is  only  mentioned  here.  In  Num.  i.  7,  &c., 
Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab  is  prince  of  the  tribe  of  Judah. 
According  to  Gen.  xlvi.  12,  Ruth  iv.  20  we  have  the  genealogy 
— Judah,  Pharez,  Hezron,  Ram,  Amminadab,  Nahshon.  Thus 
Aaron's  wife  is  the  sixth  generation  from  Jacob  (not  counting 
Jacob  himself) ;  but  from  this  section  we  get  for  Aaron — Jacob, 
Levi,  Kohath,  Amram,  Aaron — only  four  generations.  The  care 
given  here  to  the  wives  and  children  of  Aaron  and  Eleazar,  and 
the  absence  of  any  reference  to  the  family  of  Moses,  seems  to 
imply  tliat,  according  to  this  writer,  Moses  had  no  wife. 

Nadab  and  Abihu,  slain  by  Yahweh  for  offering  strange  fire, 
Lev.  x.  I,  2. 

Eleazar,  Aaron's  successor  ;  in  Exod,  xviii.  4,  E,  Moses  has 
a  son  Eliezer,  practically  the  same  name. 

Ithamar.  A  priestl}^  family,  tracing  its  descent  to  Ithamar, 
existed  after  the  Exile,  Ezra  viii.  2. 

24.  Assir  only  occurs  in  the  genealogies  here  and  i  Chron. 
vi.  22.  In  I  Chron.  vi.  23,  37  there  is  an  Assir,  son  of  Abiasaph  ; 
and  Jeconiah  is  called  Assir,  i  Chron.  iii.  17  R.V.  marg.  The 
name  has  been  connected  with  the  Egyptian  Osiris. 

Elkanah,  only  mentioned  elsewhere  i  Chron.  vi.  23.  The 
name  occurs  as  that  of  several  individuals,  three  or  four  of  whom 
are  Levites. 

Abiasaph,  only  mentioned  elsewhere  in  i  Chron.  vi.  23,  37, 
ix.  19,  where  the  name  is  given  as  Ebiasaph. 

26.  Putiel,  only  mentioned  here.  As  pt  is  often  an  element 
in  Egyptian  names,  Potipher,  Potiphera,  &c,,  the  name  has  been 
supposed    to   be    Egj'ptian.     The   document  may  originally  h^ve 


78  EXODUS  G.  26—7.  i.     S  P 

she  bare  him  Phinehas.  These  are  the  heads  of  the 
fathers'  houses  of  the  Levites  according  to  their  famihes. 

26  These  are  that  Aaron  and  Moses,  to  whom  the  Lord 
said,  Bring  out  the  children  of  Israel  from  the  land  of 

27  Egypt  according  to  their  hosts.  These  are  they  which 
spake  to  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt,  to  bring  out  the  children 
of  Israel  from  Egypt :  these  are  that  Moses  and  Aaron. 

28  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  day  when  the  Lord  spake 

29  unto  Moses  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  that  the  Lord  spake 
unto  Moses,  saying,  I  am  the  Lord  :    speak  thou  unto 

30  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt  all  that  I  speak  unto  thee.  And 
Moses  said  before  the  Lord,  Behold,  I  am  of  uncircum- 
cised  lips,  and  how  shall  Pharaoh  hearken  unto  me? 

7  [P]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  See,  I  have  made 

preserved  more  information  about  Putiel,  or  he  may  have  figured 
in  the  traditions  of  the  priestly  famihes  ;  and  the  names  may  have 
been  sufficiently  well  known  amongst  them  to  need  no  ex- 
planation. 

Phinelias,  the  successor  of  Eleazar  as  High  Priest,  often 
explained  as  an  Egyptian  word  meaning  'negro,'  'brown  men,' 
or  '  men  of  dark  complexion.'  The  name  also  occurs  for  a  son 
of  Eli,  and  for  the  father  of  an  Eleazar,  a  priest  who  returned 
with  Ezra. 

26,  27.  These  verses  explain  the  object  of  the  preceding 
genealogy.  We  might  paraphrase,  *  Please  observe  that  the 
preceding  section  gives  the  family  history  of  Aaron  and  Moses, 
the  deliverers  of  Israel.* 

27.  These  are  that  Moses  and  Aaron.  Probably  a  note 
inserted  later  than  the  rest  of  verses  26,  27,  in  order  to  restore 
Moses  to  his  proper  pre-eminence.  The  annotator  had  observed 
the  unusual  order  'Aaron  and  Moses,'  and  added  these  words  by 
way  of  correction.  A  similar  note,  'This  is  that  Dathan  and 
Abiram,'  &c.  is  added  to  Num.  xxvi.  9. 

vi.  28— vii.  7.     Unsuccessful  Appeal  to  Pharaoh. 
(Continuation  of  vi.  2-12,  P.) 

vi.  28-30  (S).     Moses'  commission  and  hesitation, 
vii.  1-2  (P).     Aaron  is  to  be  Moses'  prophet  and  demand  the 
release  of  Israel. 


EXODUS  7.  2-8.     P 


79 


thee  a  god  to  Pharaoh :  and  Aaron  thy  brother  shall  be 
thy  prophet.    Thou  shalt  speak  all  that  I  command  thee  :  2 
and  Aaron  thy  brother  shall  speak  unto  Pharaoh,   that 
he  let  the  children  of  Israel  go  out  of  his  land.     And  3 
I  will  harden   Pharaoh's  heart,  and  multiply  my  signs 
and  my  wonders  in  the  land  of  Egypt.     But  Pharaoh  will  4 
not  hearken  unto  you,  and   I   will  lay  my  hand  upon 
Egypt,  and  bring  forth  my  hosts,  my  people  the  children 
of  Israel,  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  by  great  judgements. 
And  the  Egyptians  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  when  5 
I  stretch  forth  mine  hand  upon  Egypt,  and  bring  out  the 
children  of  Israel  from  among  them.     And  Moses  and  6 
Aaron  did  so;  as  the  Lord  commanded  them,  so  did  they. 
And  Moses  was  fourscore  years  old,  and  Aaron  fourscore  7 
and  three  years  old,  when  they  spake  unto  Pharaoh. 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,  8 

3-5  (P).  Yahvveh  will  harden  Pharaoh's  heart,  so  that  he  will 
not  let  the  Israelites  go  until  Yahweh  has  manifested  His  power 
in  signs,  wonders,  and  judgements. 

6  (P).    Moses  and  Aaron  carry  out  their  commission. 

7  (P).    Age  of  Moses  and  Aaron. 

Sources,  &c.  Verses  28-30  are  repeated  from  verses  10-12,  &c., 
in  order  to  resume  the  narrative  after  the  interruption. 

vii.  1.  prophet,  spokesman.  Prediction  is  not  a  leading  function 
of  the  earlier  prophets.    Cf.  on  xv.  20  and  Gen.  xx.  7. 

3,  4.  signs  .  .  .  wonders  .  .  .  judgeuients,  the  same  acts  from 
different  points  of  view. 

6.  as  lahweli  comzuanded  them,  so  did  they:  a  favourite 
phrase  of  P  ;  cf.  verse  10,  xii.  28,  &c. 

7.  This  verse  illustrates  P's  fondness  for  chronology  and 
statistics.  Aaron  is  older  than  Moses,  as  in  vi.  20-6,  but  in 
contradiction  to  ii.  i. 

vii.  8-13.    The  Sign  of  the  Rod  that  became  a  Serpent. 
(A  narrative  from  P.) 

8.  9,  Yahweh  bids  Moses  meet  Pharaoh's  demand  for  a  wonder 
by  directing  Aaron  to  cast  his  rod  down  before  Pharaoh  that  it 
may  become  a  *  serpent.' 


8o  EXODUS  7.  9-13.     P 

9  sa)'ing,  When  Pharaoh  shall  speak  unto  you,  saying, 
Shew  a  wonder  for  you  :  then  thou  shalt  say  unto  Aaron, 
Take  thy  rod,  and  cast  it  down  before  Pharaoh,  that  it 

10  become  a  '^serpent.  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  in 
unto  Pharaoh,  and  they  did  so,  as  the  Lord  had  com- 
manded :  and  Aaron  cast  down  his  rod  before  Pharaoh 

11  and  before  his  servants,  and  it  became  a  serpent.  Then 
Pharaoh  also  called  for  the  wise  men  and  the  sorcerers : 
and  they   also,   the    ^magicians  of  Egypt,   did  in    like 

12  manner  with  their  ^enchantments.  For  they  cast  down 
every   man    his   rod,  and    they   became    serpents  :    but 

13  Aaron's  rod  swallowed  up  their  rods.     And  Pharaoh's 

*  Heb.  tannin,  any  large  reptile;  and  so  in  vv.  lo,  12. 
^  See  Gen.  xli.  8.  *^  Or,  secret  arts 


10.  Moses  and  Aaron  carry  out  these  instructions, 

11.  The  Egyptian  magicians  successfully  imitate  Aaron,  but  his 
rod  swallows  up  their  rods. 

12.  But  Pharaoh's  heart  is  hardened  so  that  he  will  not 
hearken. 

9.  show  a  wonder.  As  in  iv.  2r,  R,  the  sign  is  shown  to 
Pharaoh  ;  but  in  J,  iv.  1-12,  20,  it  is  shown  to  the  Israelites. 

serpent,  tannin,  also  used  for  sea-monsters,  dragons,  and 
mj'thical  monsters — implying  something  larger  or  more  formidable 
than  the  simple  nahash  of  J,  \v.  3,  an  ordinary  serpent. 

11.  wise  men  .  .  .  sorcerers  .  .  .  magicians,  may  be  three 
different  names  for  the  same  class  according  to  different  views  or 
forms  of  their  art ;  or  wise  men  and  sorcerers  may  denote  two 
different  classes  of  magicians.  With  *  wise  men  *  cf.  our  '  wizard  ' 
and  'wise  women.'  The  root  of  'sorcerer,'  K  Sh  Ph,  is  found  in 
the  same  sense  in  Assyrian.  It  is  sometimes  explained  as  meaning 
originally  'cut,'  either  'cut  oneself,'  like  the  prophets  of  Baal,  or 
cut  up  herbs,  &c.,  for  a  magic  potion. 

the  magicians  of  Egypt,  perhaps  an  explanator}'  note  added 
by  an  editor  ;  the  word  for  magician  is  ha}iom,  perhaps  '  engraver,' 
'writer'  ;  see  on  Gen.  xli.  i.  In  2  Tim.  iii.  8  there  are  only  two 
magicians  who  withstood  Moses,  viz.  Jannes  and  Jambres.  The 
names  were  no  doubt  derived  from  Jewish  tradition  :  they  are 
found  in  various  forms  in  the  Jerusalem  Targum,  the  Talmud,  and 
other  Jewish  literature,  but  are  not  given  by  Josephus  or  Philo. 


EXODUS  7.  M.     P  J 


8i 


heart  was  »■  hardened,  and  he  hearkened  not  unto  them  ; 
as  the  Lord  had  spoken. 

[J]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Pharaoh's  heart  14 

*  Heb.  was  strong. 


vu. 


14 — xii.  30.     The  Ten   Plagues. 


To  the  modern  Christian  'the  Ten  Plagues'  are  a  well-defined 
whole,  and  he  is  inclined  to  think  of  the  narrative  concerning 
them  as  complete  and  distinct  from  what  precedes  and  follows. 
But  this  narrative,  or  rather  these  narratives,  are  not  so  marked 
off  in  Exodus.  We  pass  from  the  Sign  of  the  Rod  that  became 
a  serpent  to  the  First  Plague  by  a  perfectly  easy  transition,  and 
the  story  of  the  Tenth  Plague  is  interwoven  with  the  institution 
of  the  Passover,  and  the  preparations  for  departure ;  and  we  pass 
from  these  matters  without  a  break  to  the  actual  departure.  As 
'ten'  is  a  round  number,  and  fairly  common,  the  editor  of  the 
Pentateuch  probably  arranged  to  have  Ten  Plagues  ;  but  the  later 
inspired  writers  were  not  interested  in  the  number ;  '  the  Ten 
Plagues'  is  not  a  Scriptural  phrase. 

Moreover,  the  number  did  not  belong  to  any  ancient  tradition, 
it  only  arises  in  the  editing  of  the  complete  Pentateuch.  Taking, 
in  the  first  instance,  the  present  arrangement  of  the  text,  just  as 
it  stands,  we  get  the  following  table,  showing  which  plagues 
were  present  in  which  sources  : — 

E.  P. 

d  to  Blood.     Nile  turned  to  Blood. 

Frogs. 
-  Lice. 


Boils  and  Blains. 


Firstborn. 

But  if  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  detailed  notes  on  the  various 
plagues,  he  will  find  that  there  are  strong  grounds  for  believing 
that  P's  Lice  is  only  another  version  of  J's  Flies,  we  might  call 
them  both  Vermin  ;  that  J's  Murrain  is  a  variant  of  P's  Boils  and 
Blains,  we  might  put  Pestilence  ;  and  that  the  section  of  J  at 
present  connected  witli  E's  Darkness  had  nothing  whatever  to 
do  originally  with  any  such  plague,  there  being  no  Darkness  in  J. 


J. 

I. 

Nile  smitten. 

Nile  turne 

2. 

Frogs. 

3- 

— 

4- 

Flies. 

5- 

Murrain. 

6. 



7. 

Hail. 

Hail. 

8. 

Locusts. 

Locusts. 

9. 

— 

Darkness. 

10. 

Firstborn. 

Firstborn. 

G 


82 


EXODUS  7.  15.     JE 


15  is  '''stubborn,  he  refuseth  to  let  the  people  go.     [E]  Get 

*  Heb.  heavy. 


Our  table,  therefore,  would  have  to  be  modified  as  follows  : — 


J. 

Nile  smitten. 

Frogs. 

Vermin. 

Pestilence. 

Hail. 

Locusts. 


Nile  turned  to  Blood. 


Hail. 
Locusts. 
Darkness. 
Firstborn, 
the 


[Rod  and  Serpent.] 
Nile  turned  to  Blood. 
Frogs. 
Vermin. 
Pestilence. 


Firstborn.  Firstborn.  Firstborn. 

We  cannot  be  sure  that  all  the  E  material  has  been  preserved ; 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  we  are  not  quite  sure  that  he  had  an 
account  of  the  Death  of  the  Firstborn,  though  it  is  very  difficult 
to  believe  that  it  was  absent  from  his  narrative  ;  cf.  on  xii.  21-7. 

Taking  our  second  table,  we  have  five  plagues  each  in  E  and  P, 
and  seven  in  J.  Probably  P  reckoned  the  plagues  as  signs,  and 
included  the  Rod  and  Serpent,  making  six. 

The  three  writers  have  strongly  marked  characteristics  both  in 
phraseology  and  as  to  the  machinery,  so  to  speak,  of  the  Plagues. 


The  formula  of  the  Primitive  writer,  J,  is  as  follows  : — 

And  Yahweh  said  unto  Moses  .  .  .  tell         vii.   14,  16  (viii.  i\ 
him  [Pharaoh]  .  . .  Thus  saith  Yahweh,         ix.  i,  13  f.,  x.  1-3. 
The  Gcfd  of  the  Hebrews  hath  sent  me 
unto  thee,  saying.  Let  my  people  go 
that  they  may  serve  me  .  .  . 

If  thou  refuse  to  let  them  go,  I  will . . .         viii 
...  to  morrow  .  .  .  viii, 

.  .  .  and  Yahweh  did  so  .  .  .  viii 

.  .  .  and  Pharaoh  called  for  Moses  and 
jaid,  Intreat  Yahweh  .  .  .  and  Moses 
went  out  from  Pharaoh  and  intreated 
Yahweh,  and  Yahweh  did  according  to 
the  word  of  Moses  .  .  . 

But  Pharaoh  hardened  his  heart  and 
did  not  let  the  people  go. 

The  formula  of  the  Elohistic  Writer,  £,  is  as  follows  : — 
And  Yahweh  said  unto  Moses,  Stretch         ix.  22  (x.  12),  x.  21. 

out  thine  hand   toward    hea\en.    that 

there  may  be  .  .  . 


20, 


2,  21,  IX.  r,  17,  x.  4, 
io,23,ix.5,  i8,x.4, 
24,  ix.  6. 
viii.  8,  12,   13,  (ix.  27), 
X.  16,  18. 


(viii.  15)  3a,  ix.  7,  34. 


EXODUS  7.  ii.     E  83 

thee  unto  Pharaoh  in  the   morning  ;    lo,  he  goeth  out 

And  Moses  stretched  forth  his  rod  ^  (vii.  20b),  ix.  23a,  x. 
towards    heaven    [over    the    land    of         13  a,  22. 

Egypt]. 

The  formula  of  the  Priestly  writer,  P,  is  as  follows  : — 

And  Yahweh  said  unto  Moses,  Say         (vii.  8},vii.  19,  viii.  5,  i6. 
unto  Aaron,  Stretch  forth  [thine  hand 
with]  thy  rod  .  .  . 

And  Aaron  stretched  out  his  hand. . .  (vii.  lo),  viii.  16,  17. 

And  the  magicians  did  in  like  manner  vii.  11,  vii.  22,  viii.  7,  18. 
with  their  enchantments  .  .  . 

And  Pharaoh's  heart  was  hardened'-^,  vii.  13,  vii.  22  (viii.  156), 
and  he  hearkened  not  unto  them  ;  as  19  (ix.  12). 

Yahweh  had  spoken. 

Apart  from  phraseology,  the  main  difference  is  in  the  way  in 
which  the  plagues  are  brought  about.  In  J  they  are  the  direct 
work  of  Yahweh,  for  the  most  part,  apparently,  by  natural 
means  ;  the  river  swarms  with  frogs,  and  later  on  they  die,  viii.  i, 
13  ;  the  flies  come  and  go,  viii.  21,  31  ;  a  murrain  falls  upon  the 
cattle,  ix.  6  ;  there  is  a  hail,  ix.  23  ;  an  east  wind  brings  the 
locusts  and  a  west  wind  takes  them  away,  x.  13,  19.  The 
supernatural  character  of  the  plagues  appears  from  their  unprece- 
dented severity,  Ix.  i8,  24,  x.  6,  14,  xi.  6  ;  and  from  the  fact  that 
they  happen  at  a  time  fixed  by  Yahweh  and  announced  by  Moses. 

In  E  the  plagues  come  when  Moses  stretches  out  his  rod. 

In  P  Aaron  stretches  out  his  rod. 

Other  peculiarities  are  the  exemption  in  J  of  the  land  of 
Goshen,  the  settlement  of  the  Israelites.  Also  in  P  the  competi- 
tion of  magicians  with  Aaron. 

As  has  already  been  pointed  out  in  connexion  with  J,  the 
Plagues  are  in  themselves  natural  phenomena,  their  supernatural 
character  appears  from  the  circumstances  under  which  they  come 
and  go,  and  from  their  extreme  severity.  Even  the  changing  of 
the  water  into  blood  is  usually  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  between 
June  and  August  the  Nile  turns  to  a  dull  red,  owing  to  the 
presence  of  vegetable  matter.  However,  the  actual  changing  to 
blood  as  in  E  and  P  would  not  be  a  natural  phenomenon.  In  J's 
account  of  the  First  Plague,  apparently,  the  water  does  not  change 
lo  blood,  but  becomes  polluted  so  that  the  fishes  die.  But  even 
in  J  there  is  the  Sign  of  the  water  changing  to  blood,  but  only  a 
small  quantity  is  affected. 

Cf.  note  on  ix.  22. 
'  The  word  for  'harden'  in  J   is   from    the    root   KBD,  lit.    'be 
heavy ' ;  in  E  and  P,  from  the  root  HZQ. 

G    2 


84  EXODUS  7.  .5.     E 

unto  the  water ;  and  thou  shalt  stand  by  the  river's  brink 

The  Editor  has  mainly  relied  upon  J,  and  has  generally  used 
his  narratives,  supplementing  them  from  E  and  P,  but  portions  of 
J  have  been  omitted.     Only  fragments  of  E  are  preserved. 

If  we  had  J  by  itself  in  its  original  form  we  should  have  a 
dramatic  story  of  great  literary  value.  Though,  like  Homer 
and  other  ancient  epical  poets,  he  has  his  formulae,  yet  he 
is  not  hampered  by  them,  but  uses  them  with  complete  freedom. 
Note,  for  instance,  the  growing  impression  made  on  Pharaoh  by 
the  Plagues.  Nothing  is  said  about  the  effect  of  the  pollution  of 
the  Nile,  but  the  frogs  extort  from  Pharaoh  a  promise  of  release, 
which  he  promptly  repudiates  when  they  are  taken  away,  having 
had  no  intention  of  keeping  it.  When  the  Flies  come  he  en- 
deavours to  make  a  serious  bargain  ;  they  shall  sacrifice  'in  the 
land  ' ;  eventually  he  agrees  to  let  them  go  into  the  wilderness,  but 
not  far.  After  the  Murrain,  the  cattle  being  dead  beyond  recall, 
he  does  not  offer  any  terms.  After  the  Hail  he  agrees  without 
discussion  to  let  them  go  at  once.  But  when  the  Locusts  are 
only  threatened  he  tries  to  make  terms,  and  afterwards  expresses 
much  contrition  ;  and  if  the  view  taken  in  the  notes  on  xi.  21-27 
be  correct,  after  the  locusts  had  been  removed  and  before  another 
plague  was  threatened,  Pharaoh  offered  to  fulfil  his  promise  with 
some  limitations. 

If  we  attempt  to  construct  a  chronology  of  the  plagues  from 
the  various  indications  of  time,  they  might  seem  to  extend  from 
the  summer,  between  June  and  August,  to  the  following  Easter. 
But  the  absence  of  any  direct  statements  shows  that  the  Editor 
was  not  concerned  with  any  chronological  scheme  ;  and  the  original 
documents  imply  that  they  happened  within  a  few  days,  therefore 
shortly  before  Easter.  J  mentions  an  interval  of  seven  days 
between  the  First  and  Second  Plagues,  otherwise  they  seem  to 
happen  in  quick  succession.  The  only  note  of  time  in  E  is  '  three 
days'  of  darkness;  whereas  in  P  the  Plagues  are  signs,  and  P's 
narrative  as  it  stands  is  quite  capable  of  the  interpretation  some- 
times put  upon  it,  that  the  Plagues  are  wrought  one  after  another, 
in  a  single  audience  before  Pharaoh.  P  refers  to  the  Death  of 
the  Firstborn,  but  his  account  of  the  actual  event  has  been 
omitted  in  favour  of  J's. 

In  Ps.  Ixxviii.  44-51,  we  have  a  list  of  the  Plagues  thus  : — 
(i)  Rivers  turned  to  Blood,  (2"!  Flies,  (3)  Frogs,  (4)  Locusts  ', 
(5)  Hail,  ^6)  Pestilence,  '7)   Death  of  the  Firstborn. 

The  plagues  enumerated  are  those  of  J,  though  in  a  different 
order. 


^  The  '  caterpiller  '  and  '  frost '  are  merely  variations  of  *  locusts  ' 
and  '  hail.' 


EXODUS  7.  15.     E  85 

to  meet  him ;  and  the  rod  which  was  turned  to  a  "  ser- 
*See  ch.  iv.  3. 

In  Ps.cv,  26-36  we  have  (i)  Darkness,  (2)\Vaters  turned  to  Blood, 
(3)  Frogs,  (4)  Flies,  or  Lice,  (5)  Hail,  (6)  Locusts,  (7)  Firstborn. 

Again  the  order  is  changed,  and  the  Murrain  and  the  Boils  and 
Blains  are  omitted.  From  the  structure  of  the  poem  '  Flies'  and 
•  Lice'  are  equivalents,  so  that  again  there  are  seven  plagues'. 
As  these  psalms  only  make  a  selection  of  the  incidents  of  the 
history,  we  cannot  be  sure  that  they  were  only  acquainted  with 
the  plagues  they  mention  ;  but  they  show  a  tendency  to  reckon 
seven  plagues  as  if  the  number  ten  for  these  were  either  unknown 
or  not  commonly  accepted  -, 

vii.  14-24.  The  First  Plague.   The  Water  turned  to  Blood. 
(A  narrative  compiled  from  J,  E,  and  P.) 

14  (J).     Yahweh's  instructions  to  Moses. 

15  (E).     Moses  with  his  rod  is  to  meet  Pharaoh. 

16,  i7rt(J),  Yahweh's  instructions  to  Moses.  He,  Yahweh, 
wil)  smite  the  river. 

170  (E).  Moses  is  to  turn  the  waters  of  the  Nik  to  blood  b}' 
smiting  them  with  his  rod. 

18  (J).  The  fish  in  the  Nile  will  die,  so  that  the  water  will 
not  be  fit  to  drink. 

19,  20  rt  (P).  Yahweh  instructs  Moses  that  Aaron  is  to 
stretch  his  rod  over  all  the  waters  of  Egypt  and  turn  them  to 
blood.     Moses  and  Aaron  carry  out  these  instructions. 

20  b  (E).  [Moses]  smites  the  Nile  with  his  rod  and  turns  its 
water  to  blood. 

2ia  (J).  The  fish  in  the  Nile  die,  so  that  the  water  is  not  fit 
to  drink. 

21  Z>,  22  (P).  All  the  water  in  Egypt  is  turned  into  blood. 
The  magicians  also  turn  water  to  blood,  and  Pharaoh  continues 
stubborn. 

23  (E).   Pharaoh  continues  stubborn. 

24  (J).     The  Eg3'ptians  get  water  by  digging. 

Sources,  See.  There  are  two  complete  sets  of  instructions,  14- 
18,  JE;  19,  20fl,  P.  There  are  different  views  as  to  the  details 
of  the  Plague.  In  J  Yahweh  Himself  smites  the  Nile,  so  that  the 
fish  die,  and  the  water  is  not  fit  to  drink. 

In  E  Moses  smites  the  Nile  with  his  rod,  and  the  water  of  the 
Nile  becomes  blood. 

In  P  Aaron  stretches  out  his  rod  over  all  the  waters  of  Egypt, 
and  they  become  blood. 

'  Cf.  also  Ps.  cxxxv.  8. 

^  Cf.  further  the  detailed  notes  and  the  Introduction,  pp.  20  ff. 


86  EXODUS  7.  16-19.     E  J  E  J  P 

16  pent  shalt  thou  take  in  thine  hand.  [J]  And  thou  shalt 
say  unto  him^  The  Lord,  the  God  of  the  Hebrews,  hath 
sent  me  unto  thee,  saying,  Let  my  people  go,  that  they 
may  serve  me  in  the  wilderness-:  and,  behold,  hitherto 

i;  thou  hast  not  hearkened.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  In 
this  thou  shalt  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  :  [E]  behold, 
I  will  smite  with  the  rod  that  is  in  mine  hand  upon  the 
waters  which  are  in  the  river,  and  they  shall  be  turned 

18  to  blood.  [J]  And  the  fish  that  is  in  the  river  shall  die, 
and  the  river  shall  stink ;  and  the  Egyptians  shall  loathe 

T9  to  drink  water  from  the  river.  [P]  And  the  Lord  said 
unto  Moses,  Say  unto  Aaron,  Take  thy  rod,  and  stretch 
out  thine  hand  over  the  waters  of  Eg}'pt,  over  their 
rivers,  over  their  ^  streams,  and  over  their  pools, 
and    over  all    their    ponds    of   water,    that    they   may 

^  Or,  ca7tah 

P's  and  J's  narratives  seem  complete,  but  parts  of  E  have 
been  omitted,  their  place  being  supplied  by  material  from  J. 
Thus  E's  17  b  'with  the  rod,  &c.,'  is  inserted  after  J's  i7<7  '.  .  .  I 
will  smite,'  so  that  the  corresponding  words  in  E  become  unne- 
cessary and  are  omitted. 

15.  wMcIi  was  turned  to  a  serpent.  E  does  not  seem  to 
have  narrated  the  turning  of  the  rod  into  a  serpent,  so  that 
probably  these  words  are  a  later  addition. 

17.  In  tMs  thou  shalt  know  that  I  am  Yahweh.  The 
marvels  wrought  in  the  name  of  Yahweh  will  teach  Pharaoh 
His  nature  and  power. 

behold,  I  will  smite  with  the  rod  that  Is  in  mine  hand. 
If  this  were  a  single,  straightforward  narrative,  and  not  a  compi- 
lation, we  should  suppose  that  Yahweh  was  still  the  speaker  ; 
but  that  is  impossible  ;  we  read  nothing  of  a  rod  in  Yahweh's 
hand.  We  might  put  a  full  stop  at  the  second  Yahweh,  and 
make  'Behold,  &c.'  the  words  of  Moses;  but  then  Yahweh's 
sentence  is  left  unfinished,  *  this'  is  not  defined. 

The  combination  of  the  sources  has  not  been  quite  successful  ; 
originally  E's  account  at  this  point  ran  somewhat  as  follows,  (156) 
*  the  rod  thou  shalt  take  in  thine  hand,  and  thou  shalt  say  to 
Pharaoh,  &c.,  «fec.,  and  (17  b)  thou  shall  smite  with  the  rod  that  is 
in  thine  hand,  &c.' 


EXODUS   7.  20-25.     P  E  J  P  E  J  87 

become  blood  ;  and  there  shall  be  blood  throughout  all 

the  land  of  Egypt,  both  in  vessels  of  wood  and  in  vessels 

of  stone.     And  Moses  and  Aaron  did  so,  as  the  Lord  2c 

commanded ;  [E]  and  he  lifted  up  the  rod,  and  smote 

the  waters  that  were  in  the  river,  in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh, 

and  in  the  sight  of  his  servants  ;  and  all  the  waters  that 

were  in  the  river  were  turned  to  blood.     [J]  And  the  21 

fish  that  was  in  the  river  died  ;  and  the  river  stank,  and 

the  Egyptians   could  not   drink   water  from  the  river; 

[P]  and  the  blood  was  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 

And  the  magicians  of  Egypt  did  in  like  manner  with  their  22 

enchantments  :  and  Pharaoh's  heart  ^  was  hardened,  and 

he  hearkened  not  unto  them ;  as  the  Lord  had  spoken. 

[E]  And  Pharaoh  turned  and  went  into  his  house,  neither  23 

did   he   ^  lay    even    this   to    heart.       [J]    And   all    the  24 

Egyptians  digged  round  about  the  river   for  water  to 

drink  ;  for  they  could  not  drink  of  the  water  of  the  river. 

And  seven  days  were  fulfilled,  after  that  the  Lord  had  ^5 

smitten  the  river. 

'^  Heb.  was  styong.         ^  Heb.  set  his  heart  even  to  this. 

19.  vessels  of  stone,  including  pottery. 

22.  the  mag'icians  of  Egjrpt  did  in  like  manner.     If,  as  in 

verses  19  and  21  b,  all  the  water  in  Egypt  had  been  turned  into 
blood,  where  did  the  magicians  get  water  from  for  their  magic? 
Apparently  in  P  the  plague  was  a  mere  transient  phenomenon, 
and  the  water  turned  to  blood  almost  at  once  returned  to  its 
natural  state  (Baentsch).  It  should  be  noticed  that  if  verse  24 
were  taken  to  be  part  of  the  same  narrative  this  explanation 
would  be  excluded. 

24.  Nothing  is  said  about  the  restoration  of  the  Nile  to  its 
natural  state.  We  have  accounts  of  deliverance  from  the  other 
plagues  ;  clearly  the  Nile  did  not  always  remain  either  blood  or 
full  of  dead  fish.  A  paragraph  about  the  restoration  may  have  been 
omitted,  or  it  may  have  been  taken  for  granted  that  the  flow  of 
fresh  water  from  the  Upper  Nile  would  cleanse  the  Nile  in  Egypt. 

vii,  25 — viii.  15.  The  Second  Plague.     The  Frogs. 
(Compiled  from  J  and  P.) 
vii.  25— viii.   4  (J).     Seven    days  after   the   Plague   of   Blood 


88  EXODUS  8.  1-4.     J 

8  ^  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  INIoses,  Go  in  unto  Pharaoh, 
and  say  unto  him,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Let  my  people 

2  go,  that  they  may  serve  me.  And  if  thou  refuse  to  let 
them  go,  behold,  I  will  smite  all  thy  borders  with  frogs : 

3  and  the  river  shall  swarm  with  frogs,  which  shall  go  up 
and  come  into  thine  house,  and  into  thy  bedchamber, 
and  upon  thy  bed,  and  into  the  house  of  thy  servants, 
and  upon  thy  people,  and  into  thine  ovens,  and  into 

4  thy  kneadingtroughs  :  and  the  frogs  shall  come  up  both 
upon  thee,  and  upon  thy  people,  and  upon  all  thy  ser- 

■^  [Ch.  vii.  26  in  Heb.] 


Yahweh  instructs  Moses  to  threaten  Pharaoh  with  a  Plague  of 
Frogs. 

5-7  (P).  At  the  bidding  of  Yahweh,  conveyed  through  Moses, 
Aaron  stretches  out  his  rod  over  the  waters  of  Egypt  and  brings 
up  frogs.     The  magicians  do  Hkewise. 

8-15  rt  (J).  At  Pharaoh's  entreaty  and  his  promise  to  release 
the  people,  Moses  intercedes  with  Yahweh,  and  the  frogs  die. 
But  Pharaoh  breaks  his  promise  and  remains  stubborn. 

15  b  (P).    Pharaoh  remains  stubborn. 

Sources,  &c.  Either  E  had  no  Plague  of  Frogs,  or  his  story 
was  so  similar  to  that  of  J  that  the  compiler  has  omitted  it.  J's 
account  of  the  actual  bringing  of  the  frogs  has  also  been  omitted, 
only  P's  being  given.  The  sections  from  J  and  P  present  the 
characteristics  already  noted  on  pp.  82  fT. 

J's  account  of  the  removal  of  the  plague  is  a  new  feature. 

Aaron  has  been  introduced  into  verses  8  and  12  by  the  Editor; 
he  is  ignored  in  the  rest  of  the  J  portion. 

2.  frogs.  Varieties  of  frogs  are  found  both  in  Palestine  and  in 
Egypt.  In  the  Bible  they  are  only  mentioned  in  connexion  with 
this  plague,  here  and  Psalms  Ixxviii.  45,  cv.  30,  and  in  Apoc.  xvi. 
13,  where  there  appear  '  three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs.' 

3.  kneadingftroughs.  The  meaning  of  the  word  inas'eretli, 
translated  '  kneadingtrough '  is  not  certain  ;  it  also  occurs  Deut. 
xxviii.  5,  17  and  Exod.  xii.  34  J,  where  the  Israelites  carry 
mas' ereths  bound  up  in  their  clothes  upon  their  shoulders.  It  is 
commonly  explained  as  a  shallow  wooden  trough  or  bowl,  but  also 
as  a  leathern-bag  {DB.  Art.  Bread^.  Egyptian  monuments  show 
dough  being  kneaded  by  the  hand  in  a  shallow  bowl,  and  b}'  the 
feet  in  a  large  tub.     (Erman,  pp.  189  f.) 


EXODUS  8.  5-12.     JPJRJRJ  89 

vants.     ^  [P]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Say  unto  5 
Aaron,  Stretch  forth  thine  hand  with  thy  rod  over  the 
rivers,  over  the  ^^  streams,  and  over  the  pools,  and  cause 
frogs  to  come  up  upon  the  land  of  Egypt.     And  Aaron  6 
stretched  out  his  hand  over  the  waters  of  Egypt ;  and  the 
frogs  came  up,  and  covered  the  land  of  Egypt.     And  the  7 
magicians  did  in  like  manner  with  their  enchantments, 
and  brought  up  frogs  upon  the  land  of  Egypt.     [J]  Then  8 
Pharaoh   called   for   Moses     [R]  and  Aaron,     [J]  and 
said,  Intreat  the  Lord,  that  he  take  away  the  frogs  from 
me,  and  from  my  people ;  and  I  will  let  the  people  go, 
that  they  may  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord.     And   Moses  9 
said   unto   Pharaoh,    Have    thou    this   glory   over   me : 
against  what  time  shall  I  intreat  for  thee,  and  for  thy 
servants,  and  for  thy  people,  that  the  frogs  be  destroyed 
from  thee  and  thy  houses,  and  remain  in  the  river  only  ? 
And  he  said.  Against  to-morrow.     And  he  said.  Be  it  10 
according  to  thy  word  :    that  thou   mayest  know  that 
there  is  none  like  unto  the  Lord  our  God.    And  the  frogs  i  r 
shall  depart  from  thee,  and  from  thy  houses,  and  from 
thy  servants,  and  from  thy  people ;    they  shall  remain 
in  the  river  only.     And  Moses  [R]  and  Aaron  [J]  went  1 2 
out  from   Pharaoh  :  and  Moses  cried   unto   the   Lord 
^  [Ch.  viii.  I  in  Heb.]  "  Or,  canals 

5.  Cf.  vii.  19. 

8.  12.  and  Aaron,  a  later  insertion  ;  cf.  the  '  /  intreat "  in 
verse  9. 

9.  Have  thou  this  glory  over  me.  '  A  polite  address  to  the 
king/  'Assume  the  honour  of  deciding  when,  &c.' 

remain  in  the  river  only,  where  they  would  naturally  be  at 
all  times. 

10.  that  thou  mayest  know  that  there  is  none  like  unto 
Yahweh  our  God  :  often  regarded  as  an  editorial  note  pointing  the 
lesson  of  the  incident;  cf.  vii.  17,  viii.  22,  ix.  14-16.  29,  x.  i,  2. 
The  Primitive  Document  usually  leaves  its  readers  to  draw  their 
own  morals. 


90  EXODUS  8.  13-17.     J  P 

concerning    the   frogs    "  which    he   had    brought    upon 

^3  Pharaoh.     And  the  Lord  did  according  to  the  word  of 

Moses ;  and  the  frogs  died  out  of  the  houses,  out  of  the 

14  courts,  and  out  of  the  fields.     And  they  gathered  them 

15  together  in  heaps  :  and  the  land  stank.  But  when 
Pharaoh  saw  that  there  was  respite,  he  ^^  hardened  his 
heart,  [P]  and  hearkened  not  unto  them ;  as  the  Lord 
had  spoken. 

16  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Say  unto  Aaron, 
Stretch  out  thy  rod,  and  smite  the  dust  of  the  earth,  that 
it  may  become  clice  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 

17  And  they  did  so  ;    and  Aaron  stretched  out  his  hand 

•Or,  as  he  had  appointed  unto  Pharaoh  ^  Heb.  made  heavy. 

'^  Or,  sandflies   Or,  fleas 

viii.  16-19.    The  Third  Plague.     The  Lice. 
(A  narrative  from  P ;  cf.  pp.  81  ff.) 

16,  17.  At  the  bidding  of  Yahweh,  conveyed  through  Moses, 
Aaron  turns  all  the  dust  of  Egypt  into  lice. 

18,  19.  The  magicians  unsuccessfully  attempt  to  do  the  same, 
and  own  that  this  is  'the  finger  of  God.'  Pharaoh  remains 
stubborn. 

16,  17.  smite  .  .  .  smote.  In  P  Aaron  usually  only  'stretches 
forth  his  hand  with  the  rod  *  ;  he  does  not  smite,  vii.  19,  viii.  6  : 
the  smiting  with  the  rod  usually  belongs  to  E,  vii.  20  ;  and  the 
presence  of  the  words  here  may  be  due  to  the  influence  of  E. 

16.  lice,  marg.  sandflies  or  fleas.  The  traditional  rendering 
varies  between  'lice'  (Josephus,  &c. )  and  some  species  of  gnats 
(LXX)  ;  both  are  common  in  Egypt.  If  w^e  adopt  'gnats'  this 
narrative  ma3'  be  P's  equivalent  of  J's  Plague  of  Flies. 

16,  17.  througliont  all  the  lauds  of  Egypt  ...  all  the  dust 
of  the  earth  became  lice  thronghont  all  the  land  of  Egfypt. 
The  wide  extent  of  the  plague  recalls  P's  narrative  in  vii.  19, 
viii.  5,  and  the  parallel  indicates  that  'all '  is  literal,  not  rhetorical. 
As  in  vii.  22,  a  difficulty  arises:  all  the  dust  having  been  turned 
into  lice,  where  did  the  magicians  find  dust  to  experiment  on? 
Apparentl3\  as  in  the  case  of  the  water  and  the  blood,  vii.  22,  the 
change  was  only  temporary  ;  there  is  no  account  of  the  removal 
of  the  lice.  One  text  of  the  Septuagint  omits  '  throughout  all  the 
land  of  Egypt'  in  16,  17,  though  it  is  retained  in  vii.  19,  21. 


EXODUS  8.  18-20.     P  J  91 

with  his  rod,  and  smote  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  there 
were  lice  upon  man,  and  upon  beast ;  all  the  dust  of  the 
earth  became  lice  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 
And  the  magicians  did  so  with  their  enchantments  to  18 
l)ring  forth  lice,  but  they  could  not :  and  there  were  lice 
upon  man,  and  upon  beast.  Then  the  magicians  said  19 
unto  Pharaoh,  This  is  the  finger  of  God  :  and  Pharaoh's 
lieart  ^was  hardened,  and  he  hearkened  not  unto  them  ; 
as  the  Lord  had  spoken. 

[J]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Closes,  Rise  up  early  in  20 

**  Heb.  zvas  siroug. 

19.  This  is  the  fingfer  of  God:  no  mere  marvel,  but  a  real 
proof  of  a  special  Divine  intervention.  The  magicians  say  'God,' 
not  '  Yahweh,'  because  they  are  not  Israelites.  It  is  not  clear 
why  the  magicians  could  not  imitate  this  wonder  ;  perhaps  the 
changing  of  a  rod  into  a  serpent,  of  water  into  blood,  and  the 
production  of  frogs  resembled  feats  which  the  Eg^'ptian  magicians 
were  supposed  to  perform  ;  while  the  changing  of  the  dust  into 
lice  or  gnats  was  not  one  of  their  performances. 

viii.  20-32.     The  Fourth  Plague,  The  Flies. 
(A  narrative  from  J.  cf.  pp.  81  ff. ) 

20,  21.  Yahweh  bids  Moses  threaten  Pharaoh  with  a  plague 
of  flies. 

22,  23.  The  plague  will  not  affect  Israel  in  Goshen. 

24.  Yahweh  sends  the  flies. 

25-31.  Pharaoh  by  a  promise  to  let  Israel  sacrifice  in  the 
wilderness  induces  Moses  to  intercede  with  Yahweh  and  obtain 
the  removal  of  the  flies. 

32.   Pharaoh  hardens  his  heart  and  breaks  his  promise. 

Sources,  &c.  This  narrative  has  characteristics  of  J  which  we 
have  already  referred  to,  viz.  the  direct  action  of  Yahweh  with- 
out the  intervention  of  Moses  or  Aaron  or  a  rod  ;  the  three  days- 
journey  into  the  wilderness  to  sacrifice  ;  the  intercession  ;  the 
removal  of  the  plague  ;  and  the  broken  promise.  There  is  also 
the  location  of  Israel  in  a  separate  district.  Goshen,  and  exclusion 
of  the  plague  from  that  district.  The  first  two  plagues  were 
specially  connected  with  the  Nile,  and  would  naturall}'  not  touch 
Goshen,  so  that  there  was  no  need  to  say  that  Goshen  was  not 
affected. 

This  narrative  is  probablj'  J's  equivalent  of  P's  Plague  of  Lice 
or  Gnats  (which  see\ 


92  EXODUS  8.  21-24.     J 

the  morning,  and  stand  before  Pharaoh  ;  lo,  he  cometh 
forth  to  the  water;  and  say  unto  him^  Thus  saith  the 

21  Lord,  Let  my  people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me.  Else, 
if  thou  wilt  not  let  my  people  go,  behold,  I  will  send 
swarms  of  flies  upon  thee,  and  upon  thy  servant-s,  and 
upon  thy  people,  and  into  thy  houses  :  and  the  houses  of 
the  Egyptians  shall  be  full  of  swarms  of  flies,  and  also 

22  the  ground  whereon  they  are.  And  I  will  sever  in  that 
day  the  land  of  Goshen,  in  which  my  people  dwell,  that  no 
swarms  of  flies  shall  be  there ;  to  the  end  thou  mayest 

23  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  the  earth.  And 
I  will  ^  put  a  division  between  my  people  and  thy  people  : 

24  by  to-morrow  shall  this  sign  be.  And  the  Lord  did  so ; 
and  there  came  grievous  swarms  of  flies  into  the  house  of 

^  Or,  set  a  sign  of  deliverance     Heb.  set  redemption. 

20.  Rise  up  early.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  Hebrew  really 
expressly  states  *  early ' ;  cf.  on  Gen.  xix.  2. 

21.  swarms  of  flies.  A  single  word  in  the  Hebrew,  ^arohh^ 
only  used  in  the  account  of  this  plague  and  in  the  references  to 
it  in  Ps.  Ixxviii.  45,  cv.  31.  The  word  'drobh  itself  probably 
means  'swarm,'  and  here  the  'swarm'  is  *a  swarm  of  flies.' 
The  root  may  mean  'mix'  and  the  word  'mixture,'  hence  the 
Vulgate  '  every  kind  of  flies.'  The  Septuagint  translates  '  dog-fly.' 
Philo,  in  his  account  of  this  plague,  has  an  eloquent  description 
of  this  '  stinging  and  treacherous  beast,'  as  he  styles  the  dog-fly. 

22.  tlie  land  of  Goshen,  the  district  east  of  the  Delta;  cf. 
above,  pp.  82  f.,-  and  on  Gen.  xlv.  10. 

22  b.  to  the  end,  &c.,  probably  an  addition  ;  cf.  on  verse  10. 

23.  I  will  put  a  division.  The  Hebrew  means  literall}' 
as  R.  V.  marg.  'set  deliverance,'  of  which  '  set  a  sign  q/" deliver- 
ance '  is  an  interpretation.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  existing 
Hebrew  text  does  not  make  sense.  The  E.  V.  is  a  translation  of 
the  Vulgate,  which  follows  the  Septuagint.  Probably  instead  of 
the  pedut/t  of  our  Hebrew  text,  the  Hebrew  text  used  by  the 
Septuagint  had  peVtitli,  '  distinction,'  from  the  root  PL,  used  in 
ix.  4,  xi.  7  in  the  phrase  'And  Yahweh  shall  distinguish'  or 
'  divide  between  '  and  in  a  similar  clause. 

24.  and  Yahweh  did  so.  The  appeal  to  Pharaoh  and  its 
failure  are  taken  for  granted. 


EXODUS  8.  25,  26.     J  R  J  03 

Pharaoh,  and  into  his  servants'  houses  :  and  in  all  the 
land  of  Egypt  the  land  was  » corrupted  by  reason  of 
the  swarms  of  flies.  And  Pharaoh  called  for  Moses  [R]  25 
and  for  Aaron,  [J]  and  said,  Go  ye,  sacrifice  to  your 
God  in  the  land.  And  Moses  said,  It  is  not  meet  so  to  do  ;  26 
for  we  shall  sacrifice  the  abomination  of  the  Egyptians 
to  the  Lord  our  God  :  lo,  shall  we  sacrifice  the  abomina- 
tion of  the  Egyptians  before  their  eyes,  and  will  they 

*Or,  destroyed 


corrupted,  polluted  by  these  unclean  creatures  and  their 
carcases,  or  better  as  marg.  'destroyed.'  Josephus  says  men 
perished  and  the  land  lay  uncultivated  for  want  of  husbandmen. 

25.  and  for  Aaron,  an  addition  ;  there  is  no  other  reference  to 
Aaron  in  this  narrative  ;  cf.  the  '■  I  go  out  ...  I  will  entreat'  of 
verse  29. 

in  tlie  land,  in  Egypt  or  Goshen,  where  they  would  be 
under  Pharaoh's  control,  and  could  not  escape. 

26.  the  abomination  of  the  Egyptians.  In  2  Kings  xxiii.  13 
we  have  *  Milcom  the  abomination  of  the  Ammonites,'  and  the 
word  for  '  abomination '  both  here  and  in  Kings  is  the  same  ^ 
Hence  '  abomination  '  may  be  an  Egyptian  idol  or  deity,  e.  g.  the 
Apis  bull  or  the  ram  in  which  Amon  manifested  himself.  But 
'  abomination '  more  often  means  some  obnoxious  object  or 
practice,  so  that  'to  sacrifice  the  abomination  of  the  Egyptians' 
would  mean  to  offer  a  sacrifice  abominable  to  the  Egyptians. 
In  either  case  it  is  implied  that  the  Israelites  would  sacrifice 
animals  which  according  to  Egyptian  ideas  ought  not  to  be 
sacrificed ;  and  such  worship  would  obviously  not  be  safe. 
Disturbances  often  arise  in  India  owing  to  the  behaviour  of 
Mohammedans  or  Europeans  towards  the  cow,  which  is  sacred 
to  the  Hindoos.  Josephus,  Agaitist  Apioti,  i.  26,  speaks  of  sacred 
animals,  for  which  the  Egyptians  had  the  greatest  respect. 
According  to  Herodotus,  ii.  41-6,  the  Egyptians  sacrificed 
bulls  and  calves,  but  not  cows ;  in  some  districts  goats  were 
sacrified  but  not  sheep,  in  otliers  sheep  but  not  goats.  At 
Egyptian  Thebes  a  ram  was  never  put  to  death  except  at  the 
annual  festival  of  Jupiter.  The  Israelites  sacrificed  bulls,  sheep, 
goats,  pigeons,  and  doves,  so  that  they  stood  a  fair  chance   of 


^  Toe'bhd,  but  shiqqitf  is  more  often  used  in  such  phrases,  as  e.  g. 
I  Kings  xi.  5,  7,  and  elsewhere  in  2  Kings  xxiii.  13. 


94  EXODUS  8.  27—9.  7.     J 

27  not  stone  us?  We  will  go  three  days'  journey  into  the 
wilderness,  and  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  our  God,  as  he 

2S  shall  command  us.  And  Pharaoh  said,  I  will  let  you  go, 
that  ye  may  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  your  God  in  the  wilder- 
ness ;  only  ye  shall  not  go  very  far  away  :  intreat  for  me. 

29  And  Moses  said,  Behold,  I  go  out  from  thee,  and  I  will 
intreat  the  Lord  that  the  swarms  of  flies  may  depart 
from  Pharaoh,  from  his  servants,  and  from  his  people, 
to-morrow  :  only  let  not  Pharaoh  deal  deceitfully  any 
more  in  not  letting  the  people  go  to  sacrifice  to  the  Lord. 

30  And  Moses  went  out  from  Pharaoh,  and  intreated  the 

31  Lord.  And  the  Lord  did  according  to  the  word  of 
Moses  ;  and  he  removed  the  swarms  of  flies  from 
Pharaoh,  from  his  servants,  and  from  his  people ;  there 

32  remained  not  one.  And  Pharaoh  '"^hardened  his  heart 
this  time  also,  and  he  did  not  let  the  people  go. 

9  [J]  Then  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Go  in  unto 
Pharaoh,  and  tell  him.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of 
the  Hebrews,  Let  my  people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me. 

2  For  if  thou  refuse  to  let  them  go,  and  wilt  hold  them 

*  Heb.  made  heavy. 

wounding   the    religious    susceptibilities   of  any    Egyptian    who 
might  witness  their  sacrifice. 

26-8.  Moses  maintains  the  fiction  that  the  Israelites  only 
desire  a  temporary  leave  of  absence  for  ritual  purposes,  and 
Pharaoh  professes,  at  any  rate,  to  think  that  Moses  is  sincere. 
*  only  ye  shall  not  go  very  far  away.' 

ix.  1-7.    The  Fifth  Plague.     The  Murrain. 
(Narrative  from  J  ;  cf.  pp.  82  ff.) 

1-5.  Yahweh  instructs  Moses  to  threaten  Pharaoh  with  a 
cattle-plague. 

6,  7.  All  the  cattle  of  Egypt  are  slain,  but  none  of  the  cattle  of 
tlie  Israelites.     Still  Pharaoh  is  stubborn. 

Sources.  Sic.  J's  'Murrain' is  perhaps  the  equivalent  of  P's 
'  Boils  and  Blains.' 


EXODUS  9.  3-8.     J  P  95 

still,  behold,  the  hand  of  the  Lord  is  upon  thy  cattle  3 
which  is  in  the  field,  upon  the  horses,  upon  the  asses, 
upon  the  camels,  upon  the  herds,  and  upon  the  flocks : 
there  shall  be  a  very  grievous  murrain.     And  the  Lord  4 
shall  sever  between  the  cattle  of  Israel  and  the  cattle  of 
Egypt :  and  there  shall  nothing  die  of  all  that  belongeth 
to  the  children  of  Israel.     And  the  Lord  appointed  a  set  5 
time,  saying,  To-morrow  the  Lord  shall  do  this  thing  in 
the  land.     And  the  Lord  did  that  thing  on  the  morrow,  6 
and  all  the  cattle  of  Egypt  died  :  but  of  the  cattle  of  the 
children  of  Israel  died  not  one.     x^nd  Pharaoli  sent,  and,  7 
behold,  there  was  not  so  much  as  one  of  the  cattle  of  the 
Israelites  dead.     But  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  was  ^  stubborn, 
and  he  did  not  let  the  people  go. 

[P]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  ^[oses  and  unto  x\aron,  8 
^  Heb.  heavy. 


3.  camels.  There  is  no  conclusive  evidence  of  the  existence  of 
camels  in  Egypt  till  the  Greek  period,  centuries  after  this  time. 
Cf.  on  Gen.  xii.  16. 

murrain.     The  original   is  debher,   '  pestilence,'  a  perfectly 
general  term. 

4.  Cf.  viii.  23,  xi.  7. 

6.  all  the  cattle  of  Egf3rpt.  The  '  all '  may  be  rhetorical  ;  but 
it  is  probably  to  be  taken  literally.  Verses  19-25  are  mostly 
from  sources  other  than  J. 

*7.  There  is  no  paragraph  as  to  entreaty  for  removal  of  the 
plague,  &c.  Pharaoh  would  hardly  ask  Moses  to  restore  the 
cattle  to  life. 

ix.  8-12.     The  Sixth  Plague.     The  Boils  and  Blains. 
(Narrative  from  P.) 
8-10.    At    the    command    of   Yahweh   Moses    sprinkles    ashes 
towards  heaven,  and  it  becomes  boils  on  men  and  beasts. 

11.  The  magicians,  smitten  with  the  boils,  can  no  longer  face 
Moses. 

12.  Yahweh  hardens  Pharaoh's  heart,  so  that  he  remains 
stubborn. 

Sources,  Sec.     This  plague  may  be  P's  equivalent  of  J's  '  Mar- 


96  EXODUS  9.  9-12.     P 

Take  to  you  handfuls  of  "'  ashes  of  the  furnace,  and  let 
Moses  sprinkle  it  toward  the  heaven  in  the  sight  of  Pha- 
9  raoh.  And  it  shall  become  small  dust  over  all  the  land 
of  Egypt,  and  shall  be  a  boil  breaking  forth  with  blains 
upon  man  and  upon  beast,  throughout  all  the  land  of 

10  Egypt.  And  they  took  ashes  of  the  furnace,  and  stood 
before  Pharaoh  ;  and  Moses  sprinkled  it  up  toward  heaven  ; 
and  it  became  a  boil  breaking  forth  with  blains  upon  man 

11  and  upon  beast.  And  the  magicians  could  not  stand 
before  Moses  because  of  the  boils  ;  for  the  boils  were  upon 

12  the  magicians,  and  upon  all  the  Egyptians.     And  the 

»  Or,  sooi 

rain.'  We  have  several  of  the  characteristics  of  P,  e.  g.  the 
magicians  ;  Aaron,  however,  is  not  so  conspicuous  as  he  usually 
is  in  P  ;  his  rod  does  not  appear.  Possibly  P  reserved  the  final, 
more  important,  acts  for  Moses ;  Aaron's  rod  does  not  appear  in 
P's  account  of  the  death  of  the  firstborn,  or  the  crossing  of  the 
Red  Sea.  It  is  often,  however,  supposed  that  the  sprinkling  of 
the  ashes  is  borrowed  from  a  parallel  account,  perhaps  from  E. 
Apparently  this  plague  also  is  thought  of  as  temporary  and  passing 
away  of  itself. 

8.  ashes,  marg.  soot.     The  word  only  occurs  here. 

9.  shall  become  small  dust.  As  the  handfuls  of  soot  are 
thrown  up  they  will  break  up  into  fine  dust  ;  this  will  settle  on 
men  and  animals  and  cause  an  eruption. 

a  boil  breaking  forth  with  blains.  '  Boil,'  shehin,  is  the 
word  used  of  Job's  disease,  Job  ii.  7,  and  of  a  boil  which  might 
be  leprous,  Lev.  xiii.  18-23.  1^  Deut.  xxviii.  27,  35  we  read  of 
'  the  boil  of  Egypt '  and  of  a  ^  boil '  that  attacked  the  knees  and 
the  legs.  Hezekiah  suffered  from  a  'boil.'  Shu  is  said  to  be 
used  in  Egyptian  for  an  abscess  (Macalister,  DB,  Medicine). 
*  Blains '  only  occurs  in  this  passage.  The  phrase  means  that  the 
disease  did  not  consist  in  a  single  boil,  but  in  a  number  of  swell- 
ings. The  data  are  not  sufficient  to  indicate  the  exact  disease 
intended ;  very  probably  the  author  thinks  of  a  special  super- 
natural disease,  devised  for  this  particular  occasion. 

upon  beast.  According  to  verse  6  all  the  cattle  are  dead. 
Though  the  words  are  different,  they  would  naturally  refer  to  the 
same  animals.  This  is  one  of  the  many  indications  that  different 
paragraphs  are  taken  from  different  sources  ;  cf.  further  verses 
-9-25. 


EXODUS  9.  13.     P  J  97 

Lord  ^  hardened  the  heart  of  Pharaoh,  and  he  hearkened 
not  unto  them ;  as  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  Moses. 

[J]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Rise  up  early  in  i- 
the  morning,  and  stand  before  Pharaoh,  and  say  unto 

*  Heb,  tnade  strong. 

ix.  13-35.     The  Seventh  Plague.     The  Hail. 
(A  narrative  from  J,  supplemented  by  fragments  from  E  and 

editorial  notes.) 
13  (J).     Yahweh   bids   Moses   appeal   to    Pharaoh  to    release 
Israel. 

14-17  (R).  Yahweh  will  now  send  all  these  plagues  ;  He  has 
only  spared  the  Egyptians  so  far  that  He  might  manifest  His 
power. 

18  (J).     Yahweh  will  send  terrible  hail. 

19-21  (R).  The  Egyptians  are  to  call  in  their  slaves  and  cattle 
from  the  fields,  that  they  may  not  be  killed  by  the  hail.  Some 
obey,  some  disobey. 

22,  23  a,  24  fl,  25  rt  (E).  At  the  bidding  of  Yahweh  Moses 
stretches  forth  his  rod,  and  Yahweh  sends  thunder,  hail,  and 
lightning.     The  hail  smites  the  men  and  animals  left  in  the  fields. 

236,  246,  256  (J).  Yahweh  rains  hail  such  as  was  never 
known  in  Egypt  before,  it  smites  the  trees  and  crops. 

26  (J).     There  was  no  hail  in  Goshen. 

27-29  rt  (J).  Pharaoh  promises  to  let  the  people  go,  and  Moses 
agrees  to  intercede  for  him. 

296,  30  (R).  For  the  glory  of  Yahweh,  though  he  knows 
Pharaoh  will  break  his  promise. 

31,  32  (R).     The  extent  of  the  damage  done  to  the  crops. 

33>  34  (J)'  At  Moses'  intercession  the  hail  is  stopped. 
Pharaoh  remains  stubborn. 

35  (E)  (R).     Pharaoh  remains  stubborn. 

Sources,  &c.  The  main  narrative  here  is  J  ;  verse  13  is  almost 
identical  with  vii.  14,  16,  viii.  i,  ix,  i,  13;  the  land  of  Goshen  is 
spared,  and  there  are  the  intercession  and  the  broken  promise,  and 
other  characteristics  of  J.  On  the  other  hand,  some  verses  show 
the  notes  of  E  ;  e.  g.  Moses  brings  the  plague  by  his  rod,  23  a. 
Moreover,  J  destroyed  all  the  cattle  with  murrain  in  verse  6,  and 
according  to  him  the  hail  destroys  the  trees  and  the  crops,  25  b  ;  but 
in  E  the  hail  smites  man  and  beast,  25(7.  If  the  verses  given  to 
E  are  omitted,  we  still  have  a  complete  story.  The  presence  of 
verses  14-17  make  the  speech  too  long  and  didactic  for  J,  and 
are  an  editorial  expansion  (cf.  on  viii.  10),  unless  17,  as  some 
think,  belongs  to  J. 

19  and  20  f.  do  not  resemble  either  J  or  E,  and  are   probably 

H 


98  EXODUS  9.  14-21.     J  R  J  R 

him,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  the  Hebrews, 

14  Let  my  people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me.  [R]  For 
I  will  this  time  send  all  my  plagues  upon  thine  heart, 
and  upon  thy  servants,  and  upon  thy  people ;  that  thou 
mayest  know  that  there  is  none  like  me  in  all  the  earth. 

15  For  now  I  had  put  forth  my  hand,  and  smitten  thee 
and  thy  people  with  pestilence,  and  thou  hadst  been  cut 

36  off  from  the  earth  :  but  in  very  deed  for  this  cause  have 
I  made  thee  to  stand,  for  to  shew  thee  my  power,  and 
that  my  name  may  be  declared  throughout  all  the  earth. 

17  As  yet   exaltest    thou    thyself  against   my  people,   that 

18  thou  wilt  not  let  them  go?  [J]  Behold,  to-morrow  about 
this  time  I  will  cause  it  to  rain  a  very  grievous  hail,  such 
as  hath  not  been  in  Egypt  since  the  day  it  was  founded 

19  even  until  now.  [R]  Now  therefore  send,  hasten  in 
thy  cattle  and  all  that  thou  hast  in  the  field ;  for  every 
man  and  beast  which  shall  be  found  in  the  field,  and  shall 
not  be  brought  home,  the  hail  shall  come  down  upon  them, 

20  and  they  shall  die.  He  that  feared  the  word  of  the  Lord 
among  the  servants  of  Pharaoh  made  his  servants  and  his 

21  cattle  flee  into  the  houses  :  and  he  that  regarded  not  the 
word  of  the  Lord  left  his  servants  and  his  cattle  in  the  field. 


two  separate  additions,  perhaps  suggested  by  25  a.  Again,  29  6,  30 
are  an  expansion  similar  to  14-16;  and  31,  32  interrupt  the  con- 
nexion, and  read  like  a  note  ;  some,  however,  regard  them  as  a 
fragment  of  E.  The  repetition  in  34,  35  indicates  the  presence  of 
E,  and  the  concluding  clause  is  an  addition  based  on  a  P  formula. 

14-16.  Cf.  viii.  10. 

14.  heart.  The  king  would  be  moved  and  distressed  by  the 
plagues.  The  writer  may  have  the  slaying  of  the  firstborn 
specially  in  mind. 

16.  have  I  made  thee  to  stand,  i.  e.  *  kept  thee  alive,'  when 
Yahweh  might  have  destroyed  him  at  once. 

18.  hail.  Hail  and  thunder  sometimes  occur  in  Egypt,  but 
are  exceedingly  rare  in  that  country. 

19.  thy  cattle,  all  dead  in  verse  6  ;  cf.  on  verse  ro. 


EXODUS  9.  22-29.     EJEJEJRJ  99 

[E]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,   Stretch  forth  22 
thine  hand  toward  heaven,  that  there  may  be  hail  in  all 
the  land  of  Egypt,  upon  man,  and  upon  beast,  and  upon 
every  herb  of  the  field,  throughout  the  land  of  Egypt. 
And  Moses  stretched  forth  his  rod  toward  heaven  :  and  23 
the  Lord  sent  thunder  and  hail,  and  fire   ran  down 
unto  the  earth ;  [J]  and  the  Lord  rained  hail  upon  the 
land  of  Egypt.     [E]  So  there  was  hail,  and  fire  ^  mingled  24 
with  the  hail,  [J]  very  grievous,  such  as  had  not  been 
in   all   the  land    of  Egypt   since   it   became   a   nation. 
[E]   And   the   hail   smote   throughout   all  the   land  of  25 
Egypt  all  that  was  in  the  field,  both  man  and  beast ; 
[J]   and   the   hail   smote  every   herb  of  the  field,  and 
brake  every  tree  of  the  field.    Only  in  the  land  of  Goshen,  26 
where   the  children  of  Israel  were,  was  there  no  hail. 
And  Pharaoh  sent,  and  called  for  Moses  [R]  and  Aaron,  27 
[J]  and  said  unto  them,  I  have  sinned  this  time  :  the  Lord 
is  righteous,  and  I  and  my  people  are  wicked.     Intreat  the  28 
Lord  ;   for  there  hath  been  enough  of  fkese  ^  mighty 
thunderings  and  hail ;  and  I  will  let  you  go,  and  ye  shall 
stay  no  longer.     And  Moses  said  unto  him,  As  soon  as  29 
I  am  gone  out  of  the  city,  I  will  spread  abroad  my  hands 

*Or,  flashing  continually  amidst 
^Heb.  voices  (or  thunderings)  0/  God. 

23.  fire,  lightning. 

2*7.  and  Aaron :  addition ;  Moses  is  alone  in  the  rest  of  this 
narrative. 

I  have  sinned  this  time,  i.  e.  'this  time,'  '  now,  I  acknowledge 
that  I  have  sinned.' 

Yahweh  is  rig-hteous,  and  I  and  my  people  are  wicked : 
rather,  'Yahweh  is  in  the  right,  and  land  my  people  are  in  the  wrong* 
in  this  matter  that  is  in  dispute  between  us,  the  releasing  of  Israel. 

28.  I  will  let  you  go.     This  time  Pharaoh  makes  the  promise 
at  once,  without  trying  to  bargain  for  partial  concessions. 

29.  Cf.  viii.  ID. 

the  city.  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  the  name  of  the 
city,  which  was  apparently  unknown  to  the  author. 

H    2 


ipo  EXODUS  9.  30-34.     J  R  J 

unto  the  Lord  ;   the  thunders  shall  cease,  neither  shall 
there  be  any  more  hail ;     [R]  that  thou  may  est  know 

30  that  the  earth  is  the  Lord's.  But  as  for  thee  and  thy 
servants,  I  know  that  ye  will  not  yet  fear  the  Lord  God. 

31  And  the  flax  and    the   barley  were   smitten :    for   the 

32  barley  was  in  the  ear,  and  the  flax  ^  was  boiled.  But  the 
wheat  and  the  spelt  were  not  smitten  :  for  they  were  not 

33  grown  up.  [J]  And  Moses  went  out  of  the  city  from 
Pharaoh,  and  spread  abroad  his  hands  unto  the  Lord  : 
and  the  thunders  and  hail  ceased,  and  the  rain  was  not 

34  poured  upon  the  earth.  And  when  Pharaoh  saw  that  the 
rain   and  the  hail  and  the  thunders   were  ceased,  he 

*  Or,  was  in  bloom 


30.  Tlie  IiOBD  God.  Yahweh  God,  an  unusual  combination, 
chiefly  found  in  Gen.  ii,  iii  (which  see),  and  probably  never 
original,  but  always  due  to  editors  or  scribes  (BDB.).  Here  the 
Septuagint  omits  'God,'  and  the  Samaritan  Hebrew  text  has 
*  Lord  (Adonay)  Yahweh.' 

31,  32.  The  time  indicated  by  these  verses  is  about  the  end 
of  January  or  the  beginning  of  February.  The  barley,  as  is 
implied  here,  ripens  earlier  than  the  wheat.  Some  doubt  has 
been  expressed  as  to  whether  the  wheat  would  still  be  too  young 
to  be  injured  by  hail  when  the  barley  was  in  ear. 

31.  boiled,  in  bloom,  as  in  the  margin. 

spelt,  kussemeth^  only  occurs  here  and  Isa.  xxviii.  25,  where 
A.  V.  renders  *  rye,'  and  Ezek.  iv.  9,  where  A.  V.  renders  *  fitches.' 
The  rendering  'spelt'  (a  kind  of  wild  wheat)  is  from  the 
Septuagint.  Others  regard  it  as  a  kind  of  vetch,  the  Arabic 
name  of  which  is  karsana  ;  or  as  the  divra,  African  millet  or 
sorghum.  The  divi-a  is  known  to  have  been  common  in  ancient 
Egypt,  and  there  is  sufficient  evidence  of  the  cultivation  of  spelt. 
The  identification  with  the  '  vetch  '  seems  to  imply  a  knowledge 
of  its  existence  in  ancient  Eg^'pt,  but  I  have  not  met  with  any 
express  statement  to  that  effect.  Rye  is  not  known  to  have  been 
cultivated  in  Egypt. 

33.  went  otit  of  the  city,  probably  that  he  might  be  alone  in 
prayer. 

spread  abroad  his  hands,  an  attitude  of  prayer  shown  upon 
the  monuments. 


EXODUS  9.  35—10.  I.     J  E  S  J  D  loi 

sinned  yet  more,  and  '^hardened  his  heart,  he  and  his 
servants.     [E]  And  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  ^  was  hardened,  35 
and  he  did  not  let  the  children  of  Israel  go  j   [S]  as  the 
Lord  had  spoken  by  Moses. 

[J]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  [D]  Go  in  unto  10 
Pharaoh :    for   I    have   ^  hardened    his   heart,    and   the 
heart  of  his  servants,  that  I  might  shew  these  my  signs  in 

*  Heb.  made  heavy.  ^'  Heb.  ivas  strong. 

34.  sinned  yet  more,  rather,  repeated  his  sin — by  again  break- 
ing his  promise. 

X.  1-20.    The  Eighth  Plague.     The  Locusts. 

(A  narrative  from  J,  supplemented  from  E,  and  slightly 
annotated.) 

1-6  (J)  [i  6,  2,  D.]  Yahweh  bids  Moses  go  to  Pharaoh  .  .  . 
[D.  He  has  hardened  Pharaoh's  heart,  that  He  may  work  signs 
which  will  become  a  tradition,  and  will  reveal  his  nature]  .  .  . 
Moses  goes  to  Pharaoh  and  threatens  him  in  the  name  of  Pharoah 
with  a  plague  of  locusts,  if  he  will  not  let  the  people  go.  He 
leaves  Pharaoh. 

7-1 1  (J).  The  courtiers  induce  Pharaoh  to  recall  Moses. 
Pharaoh  offers  to  let  the  men  go  without  their  families.  Moses 
refuses  the  offer,  and  is  driven  out  from  the  presence  of  Pharaoh. 

12,  13  a,  14  a,  15  a  (E).  At  the  bidding  of  Yahweh,  Moses 
stretches  out  his  rod,  and  brings  up  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt 
locusts,  which  devour  the  vegetation  which  had  survived  the 
Plague  of  Hail 

136,  146,  156-T9  (J).  An  east  wind  covers  the  land  with 
locusts,  which  devour  the  vegetation.  Pharaoh  calls  for  Moses, 
confesses  his  sin,  and  prevails  upon  him  to  intercede  with 
Yahweh,  who  sends  a  west  wind  and  takes  away  the  locusts. 

20  (E).  Yahweh  hardens  Pharaoh's  heart  and  he  remains 
stubborn. 

Sources,  &c.  As  in  the  previous  narrative,  a  few  fragments  of 
E,  e.g.  12,  13 rt,  Moses'  rod,  have  been  introduced  into  a  section 
bearing  the  characteristics  of  J  ;  cf.  pp.  82  ff.  Aaron  has  been 
brought  in  here  and  there  by  the  editor,  possibly  from  E,  and 
there  is  a  didactic  expansion  in  verses  i  and  2  ;  cf.  notes.  A 
comparison  of  verses  3,  6  and  7  shows  that  the  presence  of  Aaron 
is  due  to  the  editor  ;  Moses  and  Aaron  went  in,  but  only  Moses 
came  out,  ^  he  turned  and  went  out  .  .  .  how  long  shall  this  man 


I02  EXODUS   10.  2-5.     D  J 

2  the  midst  of  them :  and  that  thou  mayest  tell  in  the  ears 
of  thy  son,  and  of  thy  son's  son,  ^what  things  I  have 
wrought  upon  Egypt,  and  my  signs  which  I  have  done 
among  them ;  that  ye  may  know  that  I  am  the  Lord. 

3  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  in  unto  Pharaoh,  and  said 
[J]  unto  him.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  the 
Hebrews,  How  long  wilt  thou  refuse  to  humble  thyself 
before  me  ?  let  my  people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me. 

4  Else,  if  thou  refuse  to  let  my  people  go,   behold,   to- 

5  morrow  will  I  bring  locusts  into  thy  border :   and  they 

^  Or,  How  I  have  mocked  the  Egyptians 


be  a  snare?'    ag:ain   in    16  Moses   aud  Aaron  are    called  for  in 
haste,  but  only  Moses  goes  away,  '  he  went  out.' 

Nothing  is  said  about  the  exemption  of  Goshen,  it  is  perhaps 
assumed;  or  averse  or  two  of  J's  account  may  have  been  omitted. 

2.  Cf  Deut.  iv.  9  ;  Joel  i.  2  f. 

3.  And  Hoses  and  Aaron  went  in  unto  Pharaoh,  and  said 
unto  him.  In  J's  other  plague-narratives  Yahweh's  instructions 
to  address  certain  words  to  the  king  are  given  in  full,  and  the 
repetition  of  the  words  by  Moses  to  Pharaoh  is  not  given,  but  is 
taken  for  granted,  viii.  20-4,  ix.  1-5.  Apparently  this  was  also 
the  case  here,  and  the  statement  about  Moses  and  Aaron  going 
in  unto  Pharaoh  has  been  introduced  in  consequence  of  the 
addition  of  i  b,  2. 

4.  locusts  are  still  a  trouble  in  Eg5'pt,  A  number  of  striking 
accounts  of  swarms  of  locusts  are  quoted  in  G.  A.  Smith,  The 
Book  of  the  Twelve  Ptvphets,  ii.  398  ff.,  from  which  we  borrow  the 
following  experience  of  Mr.  Bryce  in  South  Africa.  Referring 
to  a  swarm  of  locusts,  he  writes,  *  It  is  a  strange  sight,  beautiful  if 
you  can  forget  the  destruction  it  brings  with  it.  The  whole  air,  to 
twelve  or  even  eighteen  feet  above  the  ground,  is  filled  with  the 
insects,  reddish-brown  in  body,  with  bright,  gauzy  wings.  When 
the  sun's  rays  catch  them  it  is  like  the  sea  sparkling  with  light. 
When  j'ou  see  them  against  a  cloud  they  are  like  the  dense  flakes 
of  a  driving  snowstorm.  You  feel  as  if  you  had  never  before 
realized  immensity  in  number.  Vast  crowds  of  men  gathered  at 
a  festival,  countless  tree-tops  rising  along  the  slope  of  a  forest- 
ridge,  the  chimneys  of  London  houses  from  the  top  of  St.  Paul's — 
all  are  as  nothing  to  the  myriads  of  insects  that  blot  out  the  sun 
above  and  cover  the  ground  beneath  and  fill  the  air  whichever 


EXODUS  10.6-9.     JRJ  103 

shall  cover  the  face  of  the  earth,  that  one  shall  not  be 
able  to  see  the  earth  :    and  they  shall  eat  the  residue  of 
that  which  is  escaped,  which  remaineth  unto  you  from 
the  hail,  and  shall  eat  every  tree  which  groweth  for  you 
out  of  the  field  :  and  thy  houses  shall  be  filled,  and  the  6 
houses  of  all  thy  servants,  and  the  houses  of  all  the  Egyp- 
tians ;    as   neither  thy   fathers  nor  thy   fathers'  fathers 
have  seen,  since  the  day  that  they  were  upon  the  earth  unto 
this  day.     And  he  turned,  and  went  out  from  Pharaoh. 
And  Pharaoh's  servants  said  unto  him.  How  long  shall  7 
this  man  be  a  snare  unto  us  ?  let  the  men  go,  that  they  may 
serve  the  Lord  their  God :  knowest  thou  not  yet  that  Egypt 
is  destroyed  ?  And  Moses  [R]  and  Aaron  [J]  were  brought  8 
again  unto  Pharaoh  :  and  he  said  unto  them,  Go,  serve 
the  Lord  your  God  :  but  who  are  they  that  shall  go  ?  And  9 
Moses  said.  We  will  go  with  our  young  and  with  our  old, 
with  our  sons  and  with  our  daughters,  with  our  flocks 
and  with  our  herds  will  we  go ;  for  we  must  hold  a  feast 

way  one  looks.  The  breeze  carries  them  swiftly  past,  but  they 
come  on  in  fresh  clouds,  a  host  of  which  there  is  no  end,  each  of 
them  a  harmless  creature  which  you  can  catch  and  crush  in  your 
hand,  but  appalling  in  their  power  of  collective  devastation.' 
There  is  also  a  graphic  description  of  a  plague  of  locusts  in  Joel  i, 
e.  g.  verses  6-10 :  '  A  nation  is  come  up  upon  my  land,  strong, 
and  without  number  ;  his  teeth  are  the  teeth  of  a  lion,  and  he 
hath  the  jaw-teeth  of  a  great  lion.  He  hath  laid  my  vine  waste, 
and  barked  my  fig-tree  :  he  hath  made  it  clean  bare,  and  cast  it 
away  ;  the  branches  thereof  are  made  white  .  .  .  The  meal  offer- 
ing and  the  drink  offering  are  cut  off  from  the  house  of  Yahweh 
.  .  .  the  corn  is  wasted,  the  new  wine  is  dried  up,  the  oil  languisheth.' 
5.  the  face  of  the  earth,  lit.  the  eye  of  the  earth. 

the  residue  .  .  .  from  the  hail.     The  hail  would  only  beat 
down  vegetation  in  exposed  places,  the  locusts  would  penetrate 
everywhere,  and  eat  right  down  to  the  earth. 
8,  16.  axid  Aaron.     Addition. 

who  are  they  that  shall  go?  The  Hebrew  is  not  simply 
'who,'  but  'who  and  who,'  an  idiom  only  found  here  and 
explained  as  '  who  exactly,  who  in  particular'  (G.K.). 


I04      EXODUS   10.  lo-i;.     JEJEJEJRJ 

10  unto  the  Lord.  And  he  said  unto  them,  So  be  the 
Lord  with  you,  as  I  will  let  you  go,  and  your  little  ones  : 

1 1  look  to  it ;  for  evil  is  ^  before  you.  Not  so  :  go  now  ye 
that  are  men,  and  serve  the  Lord  ;  for  that  is  what 
ye  desire.  And  they  were  driven  out  from  Pharaoh's 
presence. 

12  [E]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Stretch  out  thine 
hand  over  the  land  of  Egypt  for  the  locusts,  that  they 
may  come  up  upon  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  eat  every  herb  of 

13  the  land,  even  all  that  the  hail  hath  left.  And  Moses 
stretched  forth  his  rod  over  the  land  of  Egypt,  [J]  and 
the  Lord  brought  an  east  wind  upon  the  land  all  that 
day,  and  all  the  night ;   and  when  it  was  morning,  the 

14  east  wind  brought  the  locusts.  [E]  And  the  locusts 
went  up  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  rested  in  all  the 
borders  of  Egypt ;  [J]  very  grievous  were  they ;  before 
them  there  were  no  such  locusts  as  they,  neither  after 

15  them  shall  be  such.  For  they  covered  the  face  of  the 
whole  earth,  [E]  so  that  the  land  was  darkened ;  and 
they  did  eat  every  herb  of  the  land,  and  all  the  fruit  of  the 
trees  which  the  hail  had  left :  [J]  and  there  remained 
not  any  green  thing,  either  tree  or  herb   of  the  field, 

16  through  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  Then  Pharaoh  called  for 
Moses  [R]  and  Aaron  [J]  in  haste ;  and  he  said,  I  have 

1 7  sinned  against  the  Lord  your  God,  and  against  you.    Now 

*Or,  what  ye  purpose     Heb.  before  your  face. 


10.  So  be  Tahweli  -with  yon,  as  I  will  let  you  go.  A  form 
of  oath,  '  I  swear  by  Yahweh,  I  will  not  let  you  go.'  The  use  of 
Yahweh's  name  by  the  king  is  contemptuous. 

look  to  it ;  for  evil  is  before  you,  i.  e.  to  put  it  colloquially, 
*  Take  care,  or  you  will  get  into  trouble.' 

11.  men.  In  some  cases  onl}'  the  men  took  part  in  religious 
ceremonies,  e.g.  xxiii.  17,  'Three  times  in  the  year  all  th}'  males 
shall  appear  before  Yahweh,'  i.  e.  for  the  festivals. 


EXODUS  10.  18-21.     J  E  105 

therefore  forgive,  I  pray  thee,  my  sin  only  this  once,  and 
intreat  the  Lord  your  God,  that  he  may  take  away  from 
me  this  death  only.     And  he  went  out  from  Pharaoh,  18 
and  intreated  the  Lord.     And  the  Lord  turned  an  ex-  19 
ceeding  strong  west  wind,  which  took  up  the  locusts,  and 
drove  them  into  the  Red  Sea ;   there  remained  not  one 
locust  in  all  the  border  of  Egypt.     [E]  But  the  Lord  20 
*  hardened  Pharaoh's  heart,  and  he  did  not  let  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  go. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Stretch  out  thine  21 
*  Heb.  made  strong. 


17.  this  death  only.  Unless  the  locusts  were  removed  there 
would  be  no  food  left. 

19.  west  wind,  lit.  "wind  from  the  sea';  the  author  writes  from 
the  standpoint  of  Palestine,  where  the  sea  is  on  the  west. 

X.  21-9.     The  Ninth  Plague.     The  Darkness. 
(A  narrative  compiled  from  J  and  E.) 

21-3  (E).  At  the  bidding  of  Yahweh  Moses  stretches  out  his 
hand  and  brings  darkness  for  three  days  on  Egypt,  but  the 
Israelites  have  light. 

24-6  (J).  Pharaoh  offers  to  let  the  Israelites  go,  but  without 
their  flocks  and  herds.    Moses  refuses. 

27  (E).  Yahweh  hardens  Pharaoh's  heart,  and  he  remains 
stubborn. 

28-9  (J).  Pharaoh  sends  Moses  away,  and  bids  him  come  no 
more.     Moses  agrees. 

Sources,  &c.  The  structure  of  this  narrative  is  quite  different 
from  that  of  the  preceding  ;  there  are  no  Divine  instructions  for 
an  appeal  to  Pharaoh,  and  no  interview  between  him  and  Moses  ; 
in  other  words,  the  main  framework  is  not  J.  We  begin  at  once 
with  the  bringing  on  of  the  plague  by  Moses  at  the  bidding  of 
Yahweh,  in  the  manner  of  E,  except  that  the  rod  is  missing, 
probably  through  an  alteration  of  the  original  text  (see  note  on 
verse  22). 

The  second  part,  however,  24-6.  28  ff.,  is  a  bargaining  between 
Pharaoh  and  Moses  in  the  manner  of  J  ;  this  time,  however, 
Pharaoh  does  not  give  way.  As  the  darkness  was  definitely  for 
three  days  its  removal  has  already'  been  implied. 

But  did  24-6,  28  ff.  originally  belong  to  a  J  account  of  a  Plague 


io6  EXODUS  10.  2  2,  23.     E 

hand  toward  heaven,  that  there  may  be  darkness  over  the 

22  land  of  Egypt,  ^  even  darkness  which  may  be  felt.  And 
Moses  stretched  forth  his  hand  toward  heaven ;  and  there 
was  a  thick  darkness  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  three  days ; 

23  they  saw  not  one  another,  neither  rose  any  from  his 
place  for  three  days :  but  all  the  children  of  Israel  had 

"  Or,  so  thai  men  shall  grope  in  darkness 


of  Darkness  ?  If  so,  why  should  the  editor  in  this  case  omit  the 
rest  of  J  ?  It  should  be  noticed  that  there  is  a  development  in  the 
bargaining  in  successive  plagues  in  J.  It  first  appears  in  con- 
nexion with  the  Flies,  after  the  plague  has  been  sent  ;  it  appears 
next  in  connexion  with  the  Locusts,  while  the  plague  has  only 
been  threatened,  before  it  has  been  sent.  It  seems  natural,  there- 
fore, to  suppose  that  in  J  originally  24-6,  28  ff.  were  the  sequel  to 
the  narrative  of  the  locusts,  and  that  J  had  no  Plague  of  Darkness, 
except  indeed  that  the  land  was  darkened  by  the  locusts,  15  a. 
Thus  J  would  represent  that  Pharaoh  by  this  time  has  been  so 
much  impressed  that,  even  after  the  removal  of  the  locusts,  he  is 
willing  to  make  large  concessions. 

According  to  some  23  «,  '  but  all  the  children  of  Israel  had  light 
in  their  dwellings,'  is  an  editorial  note.  It  has  also  been  held  that 
verse  25  comes  from  E.  In  one  way  this  would  remove  the 
difficulty  arising  out  of  25,  26  ;  but  it  is  hard  to  understand  how 
Moses  could  simply  ask  for  gifts  of  victims  from  Pharaoh,  and — 
apparently — acquiesced  in  leaving  their  own  cattle  behind — unless 
they  had  no  cattle  in  E.  Elsewhere,  too,  there  is  no  bargaining  in  E, 
but  so  little  of  that  source  has  been  preserved  that  this  objection  is 
not  serious  (of.  above,  p.  84).  It  is  possible  that  an  editor  has 
added  something  in  25  or  26  or  both. 

21.  darkness  whicli  may  be  felt.  The  description  would  suit 
a  London  fog  in  November,  but  the  condition  which  causes  such 
a  fog  did  not  exist  in  Egypt ;  and  the  three  days  of  verses  22,  23 
exclude  explanation  by  an  eclipse.  The  natural  phenomenon 
corresponding  to  this  plague  is  commonly  supposed  to  be 
the  electric  wind  Khamsin,  which  blows  for  many  days  in  the 
spring,  and  brings  with  it  clouds  of  sand  and  dust,  loading  the 
atmosphere  and  darkening  the  sun.  It  usually  lasts  about  three 
days.     (Ryssel.) 

22.  stretched  forth  his  hand.  Elsewhere  in  E  it  is  '  his  rod,' 
and  perhaps  we  should  read  '  rod  '  here.  The  alteration  might 
very  easily  be  made  by  a  scribe  in  view  of  the  '  hand '  in  the 
corresponding  phrase  in  Yahweh's  instructions. 


EXODUS  10.  24-29,     E  J  E  J  107 

light  in  their  dwellings.     [J]  And  Pharaoh  called  unto  24 
Moses,  and  said,  Go  ye,  serve  the  Lord  ;  only  let  your 
flocks  and  your  herds  be  stayed :  let  your  little  ones  also 
go  with  you.     And  Moses  said,  Thou  must  also  give  into  25 
our  hand  sacrifices  and  burnt  offerings,  that  we  may  sacri- 
fice unto  the  Lord  our  God.     Our  cattle  also  shall  go  26 
with  us;   there  shall  not  an  hoof  be  left  behind;   for 
thereof  must  we  take  to  serve  the  Lord  our  God ;  and 
we  know  not  with  what  we  must  serve  the  Lord,  until  we 
come  thither.     [E]  But  the  Lord  ^'^  hardened  Pharaoh's  27 
heart,  and  he  would  not  let  them  go.     [J]  And  Pharaoh  28 
said  unto  him,  Get  thee  from  me,  take  heed  to  thyself, 
see  my  face  no  more ;  for  in  the  day  thou  seest  my  face 
thou  shalt  die.     And  Moses  said.  Thou  hast  spoken  well ;  29 
I  will  see  thy  face  again  no  more. 


23.  in  their  dwellings.  In  E  the  Israelites  are  thought  of  as 
living  amongst  the  Egyptians,  and  the  exemption  has  to  be  given 
to  each  house  ;  in  J  it  is  simply  given  to  the  land  of  Goshen. 

24.  unto  Moses.  The  Septuagint  and  Vulgate  add  'and 
Aaron,'  showing  how  natural  it  was  to  make  such  an  addition. 

let  your  flocks  and  your  herds  he  stayed,  as  a  pledge  of 
their  return. 

25-26.  The  meaning  apparently  is  :  '  Not  only  must  we  take 
our  own  cattle,  but  you  [Pharaoh]  must  contribute  victims  for  the 
sacrifices  ;  and  we  must  take  all  our  cattle,  because  we  cannot 
tell  till  we  get  to  the  scene  of  our  worship  which  particular  cattle 
Yahweh  requires,'  the  idea  being  that  at  the  place  of  sacrifice 
Yahweh  will  indicate  by  an  oracle  the  number  and  nature  of  the 
offerings  He  demands. 

It  would  be  simpler  to  understand  the  verses,  '  You  must  also 
concede  victims  for  the  sacrifice,  and  therefore  we  must  take  our 
own  cattle,  &c.'  The  Hebrew  as  it  stands  can  scarcely  mean  this, 
but  the  text  may  have  been  slightly  altered. 

Or,  again,  25  may  belong  to  one  source,  and  26  to  another  (cf. 
above,  Sources). 

sacrifices,  zcbahim,  the  ordinary  sacrifices,  of  which  part  was 
consumed  on  the  altar,  and  part  eaten  by  the  worshippers. 
burnt  offerings,  'oloih,  were  wholly  burnt  on  the  altar. 


io8  EXODUS  11.  1.     E 

11      [EjAnd  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Yet  one  plague 


xi.  I — xii.  30.     The  Tenth  Plague,     The  Slaying  of  the 

Firstborn. 

(A  narrative  and  laws  compiled  from  J,  E,  and  P,  and  freely 
annotated  by  editors.) 

xi.  1-3  (E).  Yahweh  announces  to  Moses  a  final  plague.  The 
Israelites  are  to  *  borrow '  of  the  Egyptians.  The  renown  of 
Moses. 

4-8  (J).  Moses  declares  [to  Pharaoh]  that  at  midnight  Yahweh 
will  slay  all  the  firstborn  of  Eg^^pt ;  Pharaoh's  courtiers  will  beg 
the  Israelites  to  depart.     Moses  leaves  the  presence  of  Pharaoh. 

9-10  (S).  Yahweh  tells  Moses  that  Pharaoh  will  not  hearken, 
and  so  it  happens. 

xii.  1-13  (P).  The  Law  of  the  Passover.  Yahweh  instructs 
Moses  and  Aaron  thus  :  This  month  shall  be  the  first  month.  On 
the  tenth  day  each  household  is  to  take  a  lamb  ;  on  the  fourteenth 
they  are  to  kill  it  and  put  some  of  its  blood  on  the  doorposts  and 
lintels  of  the  house.  That  night  they  are  to  eat  it  roast,  with 
unleavened  bread,  and  bitter  herbs.  Anything  left  till  the  morning 
is  to  be  burnt.  Those  partaking  are  to  eat  as  if  about  to  start  on 
a  journey.  That  night  Yahweh  will  smite  all  the  firstborn  of 
Egypt,  but  the  blood  will  protect  the  Israelites. 

14-20  (S).  This  is  to  be  a  permanent  feast ;  for  seven  days  only 
unleavened  bread  is  to  be  eaten  ;  any  one  transgressing  this  law 
is  to  be  '  cut  off.'  The  first  and  last  of  the  seven  days  are  to  be 
specially  observed. 

21-3  (J  E).  Moses  bids  the  elders  of  Israel  kill  lambs  for  the 
Passover,  and  put  some  of  the  blood  on  the  doorposts  and  lintels 
of  the  houses,  and  remain  in  the  house  till  the  morning.  Yahweh 
will  pass  through  to  smite  the  Egyptians,  but  seeing  the  blood, 
He  will  spare  the  Israelites. 

24  (P).     This  is  to  be  a  permanent  law. 

25-7  (J  E).  The  ritual  is  to  be  observed  in  the  Promised  Land, 
and  explained  to  each  succeeding  generation.  The  people  rever- 
ently receive  the  instructions. 

28  (P).  The  Israelites  carry  out  the  instructions  given  to  Moses 
and  Aaron. 

29j  30  (J).  At  midnight  Yahweh  slays  all  the  firstborn  of  the 
Egyptians.  Pharaoh  and  his  courtiers  and  his  people  arise  in  the 
night  and  raise  great  lamentation  over  their  dead. 

Sources,  &c.  There  is  abundant  evidence  that  this  section  has 
been  compiled  from  various  sources.  Moses'  final  defiance  of 
Pharaoh,  x.  29,  xi.  4-8,  is  interrupted  by  irrelevant  instructions 
from  Yahweh  to  Moses  about  borrowing  jewels,  xi.  1-3.     xii.  18, 


EXODUS  11.  2,  3.     E  109 

more  will  I  bring  upon  Pharaoh,  and  upon  Egypt ;  after- 
wards he  will  let  you  go  hence:  '"^when  he  shall  let  you 
go,  he  shall  surely  thrust  you  out  hence  altogether. 
Speak  now  in  the  ears  of  the  people,  and  let  them  ask  2 
every  man  of  his  neighbour,  and  every  woman  of  her 
neighbour,  jewels  of  silver,  and  jewels  of  gold.  And  3 
the  Lord  gave  the  people  favour  in  the  sight  of  the 
Egyptians.     Moreover  the  man  Moses  was  very  great  in 

*  Or,  when  he  shall  let  yon  go  altogether,  he  shall  utterly  thrust 
you  out  hence 

21,  22  take  for  granted  that  the  people  are  well  acquainted  with 
matters  which,  according  to  xii,  1-20,  have  only  just  been  revealed 
to  Moses,  &c.,  &c. 

But  the  process  of  compilation  and  annotation  has  been  so 
complicated  that  it  is  impossible  to  indicate  at  all  adequately  the 
considerations  that  justify  the  present  analysis ;  cf.  however  the 
notes  on  xi.  i,  4,  9,  10,  xii.  15,  16,  19,  21  f. 

The  section  xii.  14-20  does  not  belong  to  the  main  Priestl3' 
writer  who  composed  xii.  1-13,  but  is  a  later  supplement ;  it 
hardly  attempts  to  maintain  the  standpoint  of  the  night  of  the 
Exodus,  but  gives  directions  for  observing  an  annual  feast 
according  to  rules  which  could  not  have  been  followed  in  Egypt. 

Verses  21-3,  24-7  appear  to  be  based  upon  material  both  from 
J  and  E.  Moses  deals  with  the  elders  as  in  J  ;  but  in  23  and  27 
the  people  seem  to  be  dwelling  among  the  Egyptians,  as  in  E. 
The  editor  has  so  combined,  supplemented,  and  otherwise  modified 
his  material,  that  we  cannot  recover  the  original  elements;  but  the 
section  is  certainly  older  than  P  ;  cf.  xii.  27. 

1.  when  he  shall  let  you,  &c.  As  the  variation  between  the 
text  and  margin  shows,  the  translation  of  the  latter  part  of  this 
verse  is  uncertain.  The  'altogether'  would  refer  to  Pharaoh's 
attempts  to  induce  the  Israelites  to  go  without  their  families  or 
their  cattle,  so  that  the  text  would  mean,  '  When  he  does  let  you 
go,  he  will  let  you  all  go,  men,  women,  and  cattle,'  and  the 
margin,  '  When  he  does  make  up  his  mind  to  let  j'ou  all  go,  he 
will  drive  you  out.'  The  latter  seems  preferable,  and  the  clause 
'when  he  shall  let  j^ou  go  altogether'  is  probably  an  editorial 
note  ;  as  apparently  the  bargaining  was  not  narrated  by  E. 

2-3.  Cf.  notes  on  iii.  21  ff. 

3.  Egyptians.  The  Septuagint  and  the  Samaritan  text  add 
'and  they  lent  to  them.' 


no  EXODUS  11.  4-8.     E  J 

the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh's  servants,  and 
in  the  sight  of  the  people. 

4  [J]  And   Moses   said,  Thus  saith   the  Lord,    About 

5  midnight  will  I  go  out  into  the  midst  of  Egypt :  and  all 
the  firstborn  in  the  land  of  Egypt  shall  die,  from  the 
firstborn  of  Pharaoh  that  sitteth  upon  his  throne,  even 
unto  the  firstborn  of  the  maidservant  that  is  behind  the 

6  mill ;  and  all  the  firstborn  of  cattle.  And  there  shall  be 
a  great  cry  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  such  as 
there  hath  been  none  like  it,  nor  shall  be  like  it  any 

7  more.  But  against  any  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall 
not  a  dog  ''^move  his  tongue,  against  man  or  beast :  that 
ye  may  know  how  that  the  Lord  doth  put  a  difference 

8  between  the  Egyptians  and  Israel.  And  all  these  thy 
servants  shall  come  down  unto  me,  and  bow  down 
themselves  unto  me,  saying.  Get  thee  out,  and  all  the 
people  that  follow  thee :  and  after  that  I  will  go  out. 
And  he  went  out  from  Pharaoh  in  hot  anger. 

°-  Heb.  zvhet. 

Moreover  the  man  Moses  was  very  gfreat,  &c.,  i.e.  'had 
a  great  reputation,  &c.'  ;  probably  an  editorial  note. 
4.  The  continuation  of  iii.  29. 

Thus  saith  Yahweh,  About  midnight  will  I  go  out:  the 
frank  anthropomorphic  style  of  J. 

behind  the  mill.  The  grinding  of  the  daily  corn  in  the 
handmills  was  the  lowest  drudgery. 

and  all  the  firstborn  of  cattle.  All  dead  ix.  6;  the  clause  is 
a  rhetorical  addition  by  a  scribe  who  had  overlooked  the  earlier 
passage. 

7.  Yahweh  doth  put  a  difference  between  the  Egrsrptians 
and  Israel:  implying  that  this  plague,  like  the  others,  will  not 
affect  the  Israelites. 

8.  Thy  servants  shall  come.  According  to  x.  28  f.,  Moses  is 
not  to  see  Pharaoh  again.  He  will  not  therefore  be  sent  for  to 
come  into  the  king's  presence  as  before  ;  there  will  be  no 
question  of  any  further  bargaining ;  but  the  courtiers  will  be  sent 
in  haste  to  grant  all  that  has  been  asked ;  or  perhaps  they  will 
come  of  their  own  accord,  without  waiting  to  be  sent.    (Baentsch.) 


EXODUS  11.  9—12.  3.     S  P  in 

[S]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Pharaoh  will  not  9 
hearken  unto  you  :  that  my  wonders  may  be  multiplied 
in  the  land  of  Egypt.     And  Moses  and  Aaron  did  all  10 
these  wonders  before  Pharaoh:  and  the  Lord  ^hardened 
Pharaoh's  heart,  and  he  did  not  let  the  children  of  Israel 
go  out  of  his  land. 

[P]  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  Aaron  in  12 
the  land  of  Egypt,  saying,  This  month  shall  be  unto  you  2 
the  beginning  of  months  :  it  shall  be  the  first  month  of  the 
year  to  you.     Speak  ye  unto  all  the  congregation  of  Israel,  3 
saying.  In  the  tenth  day  of  this  month  they  shall  take  to 

9-10.  These  verses  were  apparently  inserted  by  an  editor  as 
a  concluding  summary  of  the  narrative  of  the  plagues  (Oxf. 
Hex.)  ;  the  actual  slaying  of  the  firstborn  and  the  Passover  being 
reserved  for  a  separate  section.  In  ch.  xii  the  death  of  the  first- 
born is  subordinated  to  the  other  topics.  We  might  perhaps  read 
'  Yahweh  had  said,  &c.' 

xii.  1-27.     The  Institution  of  the  Passover  ;  of.  Deut. 
xvi.  1-8.     See  also  Appendix 

1.  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  This  was  implied  by  the  context ; 
but  the  writer  was  anxious  to  emphasize  the  place  of  institution  of 
the  Passover.  Moreover,  this  section  would  often  be  read  as 
a  separate  lesson,  so  to  speak,  and  the  clause  would  then  help 
the  hearers  to  realize  the  situation.  Most  of  the  laws  were  given 
at  Sinai. 

2.  This  month.  At  first  sight  there  is  nothing  to  tell  the 
reader  which  month  is  meant.  Various  features  of  the  plagues 
show  that  they  took  place  in  the  spring  ;  see  on  ix.  31  f.,  x.  21. 
The  author  knew  that  his  readers  would  understand  the  month  to 
be  that  in  which  they  were  accustomed  to  observe  the  Passover, 
viz.  the  month  known  as  Abib  or  Nisan,  about  April  or  Easter. 
The  date  is  given  clearly  later  on  xiii.  4. 

the  beginning*  of  months  .  .  .  the  first  month :  implying 
that  up  till  now  the  year  had  begun  at  some  other  time,  but 
henceforth  it  would  begin  in  the  Passover  month.  Before  the 
Exile  the  year  began  in  the  autumn  ;  thus  in  xxiii.  16,  E,  the 
autumn  or  vintage  feast  is  'at  the  end  of  the  year';  but  after  the 
Return  the  Jews  adopted  the  Babylonian  custom  of  beginning  the 
year  in  the  spring. 

3.  tenth  day.  Perhaps  the  choice  of  *  tenth '  points  to  a  time 
of  reckoning  by  periods  of  ten  days. 


112  EXODUS  12.  4-6.     P 

them  every  man  a  ^  lamb,  according  to  their  fathers' houses, 

4  a  lamb  for  an  household  :  and  if  the  household  be  too 
little  for  a  lamb^  then  shall  he  and  his  neighbour  next 
unto  his  house  take  one  according  to  the  number  of  the 
souls ;  according  to  every  man's  eating  ye  shall  make 

5  your  count  for  the  lamb.  Your  lamb  shall  be  without 
blemish,  a  male  of  the  first  year :  ye  shall  take  it  from 

6  the  sheep,  or  from  the  goats :  and  ye  shall  keep  it  up 
until  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  same  month  :  and  the 
whole  assembly  of  the  congregation  of  Israel  shall  kill 

»0r,  kid 

lamb ;  lamb  or  kid  ;  cf.  verse  5. 

fathers'  houses,  here  explained  as  'household,'  family  in  the 
narrower  sense.  It  is  also  used  for  the  family  in  the  larger  sense, 
the  clan. 

4.  if  the  honsehold  be  too  little,  &c.,  a  practical  concession. 
If  small  families  had  been  compelled  to  consume  a  whole  lamb 
apiece  or  destroy  what  was  left  (verse  10)  there  would  have  been 
great  waste. 

souls,  persons,  as  in  our  *  a  ship  with  two  hundred  souls  on 
board.' 

accordingr  to  every  man's  eatingf,  ye  shall  make  your 
count,  &c.  This  English  suggests  that  the  extent  of  each 
person's  appetite  was  to  be  carefully  ascertained,  and  the  families 
grouped  accordingl)'^ ;  which  is  absurd.  The  clause  has  been 
rendered,  '  Each  person's  share  of  the  lamb  shall  be  apportioned 
according  to  his  capacity  for  eating.'  Not  apparently  that  each  is 
to  have  his  fill  ;  but  that  definite  portions  were  to  be  allotted 
according  to  age  or  sex,  so  that  the  meal  might  proceed  quickly 
and  orderly  (Baentsch).  Another  rendering  is,  'A  lamb  is  to  be 
provided  (lit.  reckoned)  for  as  many  as  can  eat  it'  (Kautzsch); 
cf.  on  xvi.  16. 

5.  The  conditions  laid  down  here  are  those  prescribed  for 
animals  for  sacrifices.  Apparently  the  Passover  was  originall}' 
considered  a  sacrifice  ;  cf.  verse  27  ;  later  on,  when  sacrifices  could 
only  be  offered  at  the  Temple,  the  Passover  which  was  celebrated 
elsewhere  was  necessarily  distinguished  from  sacrifices. 

6.  ye  shall  keep  it  up,  lit.  *ye  shall  have  it  in  keeping,'  i.e. 
*  3^e  shall  take  care  of  it.'  It  is  not  clear  why  the  animal  was  to 
be  got  four  days  before  it  was  killed  ;  it  may  be  some  feature  of 
ancient  ritual  whose  significance  had  been  forgotten  when  the  laws 
were  committed  to  writing. 


EXODUS  12.  7-9.     P  113 

it  a  at  even.     And  they  shall  take  of  the  blood,  and  put  7 
it  on  the  two  side  posts  and  on  the  lintel,   upon  the 
houses  wherein  they  shall  eat  it.     And  they  shall  eat  the  8 
flesh  in  that  night,  roast  with  fire,  and  unleavened  bread ; 
with  bitter  herbs  they  shall  eat  it.     Eat  not  of  it  raw,  nor  9 
sodden  at  all  with  water,  but  roast  with  fire;  its  head 
"■  Heb.  between  the  two  evenings. 


the  whole  assembly  .  .  .  shall  kill  it,  i.  e.  each  householder 
shall  kill  his  lamb  at  the  appointed  time. 

at  even,  possibly  the  original  phrase  had  this  meaning,  i.  e. 
at  sunset  or  nightfall.  The  Hebrew  in  its  present  form  was 
probably  intended  by  the  final  editors  of  the  Hebrew  text  to  mean, 
as  in  R.  V.  marg.,  *  between  the  two  evenings  ' ;  either  at  the  point 
at  which  the  one  evening  ended  and  the  other  began  or  at  some 
time  in  the  period  covered  by  the  two  evenings.  The  two  even- 
ings are  commonly  explained  as  the  hour  before  and  the  hour  after 
sunset,  but  sometimes  as  from  sunset  to  dark,  or  from  about  3  p.m. 
to  sunset. 

7.  The  blood-ritual,  again,  is  also  a  survival  of  primitive  ritual. 
Similarly  Ezek.  xliii.  18.  The  priests  put  the  blood  of  the  sin-offering 
on  the  doorposts  of  the  Temple ;  and  both  in  Arabia  and  Syria 
the  doorposts  of  houses,  &c.,  are  sprinkled  with  sacrificial  blood 
(Jeremias,  p.  260).  At  some  stage  of  the  development  of  the 
ritual  the  lamb  may  have  been  regarded  as  a  sin-offering,  and  the 
sprinkling  of  its  blood  on  the  doorposts,  &c.,  conveyed  its  aton- 
ing efficacy  to  the  inmates  of  the  house.  But  these  directions  for 
the  first,  the  Egyptian,  Passover,  rather  suggest  that  the  blood 
originally  protected  the  family  from  the  attacks  of  a  hostile  spirit. 
See  further  in  Appendix  I. 

lintel,  the  beam  across  the  top  of  a  doorway. 

8.  roast  with  fire,  perhaps  to  distinguish  it  from  the  sacrifices 
at  which  boiled  flesh  was  eaten,  e.  g.  Lev.  viii.  31.  According  to 
Deut.  xvi.  7  the  Passover  lamb  was  to  be  boiled. 

unleavened  hread,  as  being  more  pure  ;  so  in  Lev.  ii.  4 
unleavened  cakes  are  to  be  used  for  a  meal-offering.  In  J,  xii.  34, 
the  unleavened  bread  is  due  to  the  haste  with  which  they 
departed  ;  they  had  no  time  to  wait  for  it  to  leaven.  The  theory 
of  the  Priestly  Code  also  seems  to  be  that  the  Passover  ritual 
consists  of  commemorative  symbols  ;   cf.  on  verse  15. 

9.  Eat  not  of  it  raw,  nor  sodden.  The  prohibition  implies 
that  this  or  other  sacrifices  were  at  one  time  eaten  raw  ;  we 
know  that  they  were  eaten  sodden,  i.  e.  boiled ;  cf.  on  the  previous 
verse. 

I 


114  EXODUS  12.  10-15.     PS 

10  with  its  legs  and  with  the  inwards  thereof.  And  ye  shall 
let  nothing  of  it  remain  until  the  morning ;  but  that  which 
remaineth  of  it  until  the  morning  ye  shall  burn  with  fire. 

11  And  thus  shall  ye  eat  it ;  with  your  loins  girded,  your 
shoes  on  your  feet,  and  your  staff  in  your  hand  :  and  ye 

1 2  shall  eat  it  in  haste :  it  is  the  Lord's  passover.  For  I 
will  go  through  the  land  of  Egypt  in  that  night,  and  will 
smite  all  the  firstborn  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  both  man 
and   beast ;  and  against  all  the  gods  of  Egypt  I  will 

13  execute  judgements :  I  am  the  Lord.  And  the  blood 
shall  be  to  you  for  a  token  upon  the  houses  where  ye 
are :  and  when  I  see  the  blood,  I  will  pass  over  you,  and 
there  shall  no  plague  be  upon  you  ^  to  destroy  you,  when 

14  I  smite  the  land  of  Egypt.  [S]  And  this  day  shall  be  unto 
you  for  a  memorial,  and  ye  shall  keep  it  a  feast  to  the 
Lord  :  throughout  your  generations  ye  shall  keep  it  a 

15  feast  by  an  ordinance  for  ever.     Seven  days  shall  ye  eat 

*  Or,  /or  a  destroyer 

10.  let  nothing  of  It  remain  until  the  morning*,  in  order 
that  this  specially  sacred  object  might  not  be  used  for  an  ordinary 
meal ;  a  similar  rule  is  laid  down  for  sacrificial  victims  in  Lev.  iv. 
12,  vii.  15,  17.  So  the  consecrated  elements  of  the  mass  (unless 
reserved  for  ritual  purposes)  must  all  be  consumed  by  the  wor- 
shippers or  the  priest. 

11.  On  the  night  of  the  Egyptian  Passover  the  Israelites  v/ere 
to  partake  of  the  meal  prepared  to  start  at  once  on  their  journej', 
as  soon  as  the  call  came. 

passover:  see  Appendix  I. 

12.  and  against  all  the  gods  of  Egypt  I  will  execute  Judge- 
ments. The  sentence  may  mean  that  in  triumphing  over  Pharaoh, 
and  plaguing  him  and  his  people,  Yahweh  conquers  the  gods  of 
Egypt  and  executes  judgements  on  them  ;  or  maj^  refer  to  the  fact 
that  the  Egyptians  worshipped  animals  such  as  were  destroyed 
in  the  plagues. 

14.  a  memorial.  Verses  1-13  are  instructions  for  the  night  of 
the  Exodus  ;  14-20  direct  that  a  permanent  annual  festival  shall 
be  observed. 

15.  Seven  days.  The  original  observance  was  confined  to  the 
night  of  the  Passover. 


EXODUS  12.  i6-i.>     S  115 

unleavened  bread ;  even  the  first  day  ye  shall  put  away 
leaven  out  of  your  houses  :  for  whosoever  eateth  leavened 
bread  from  the  first  day  until  the  seventh  day,  that  soul 
shall  be  cut  off  from  Israel.     And  in  the  first  day  there  16 
shall  be  to  you  an  holy  convocation,  and  in  the  seventh 
day  an  holy  convocation ;  no  manner  of  work  shall  be 
done  in  them,  save  that  which  every  man  must  eat,  that 
only  may  be  done  of  you.     And  ye  shall  observe  the  17 
feast  of  unleavened  bread ;  for  in  this  selfsame  day  have 
I  brought  your  hosts  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt :  therefore 
shall  ye  observe   this   day  throughout  your  generations 
by  an  ordinance  for  ever.     In  the  first  months  on  the  18 
fourteenth    day   of   the   month   at   even,   ye    shall   eat 
unleavened  bread,  until  the  one  and  tw^entieth  day  of  the 
month  at  even.     Seven  days  shall  there  be  no  leaven  19 
found  in  your  houses :  for  whosoever  eateth  that  which 

iiuleavened  bread.  Verses  14-20  are  wholly  occupied  with 
this  feature  of  the  ritual.  Originally  Mazzoth,  or  the  Feast  of  Un- 
leavened Bread,  was  distinct  from  the  Passover ;  cf.  Appendix  I. 

that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  Israel.  '  Person '  would  be 
better  than  "soul.'  'Cut  off'  is  ambiguous,  perhaps  intentionally  ; 
judging  from  Num.  iii.  4,  xv.  36,  where  death  is  the  penalty  of 
offering  the  wrong  kind  of  incense  and  of  gathering  sticks  on  the 
Sabbath,  the  Priestly  writers  would^have  been  quite  willing  to 
interpret  '  cut  off*  bj-  'put  to  death/  But  as  the  Jewish  authori- 
ties in  the  period  when  the  priestly  writings  were  published,  and 
for  the  most  part  afterwards,  had  not  the  power  of  life  and  death, 
'cut  off'  came  to  mean  'excommunicated,'  excluded  from  worship 
at  the  Temple  and  from  intercourse  with  faithful  Jews. 

16.  an  holy  convocation,  tniqra  qodesh,  a  characteristic  term 
of  the  Priestly  writers  for  a  religious  gathering  on  a  sacred  day. 
On  these  particular  'holy  convocations'  no  work  might  be  done, 
as  166  tells  us,  except  that  involved  in  the  preparation  of  food  ; 
so  that  these  days  were  less  sacred  than  the  weekly  or  Sabbath,  on 
which  no  work  of  any  kind  might  be  done. 

17.  in  this  selfsame  day,  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread, 
the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first  month. 

18.  In  the  first  month,  taking  for  granted  the  new  arrange* 
ment  made  in  verse  2. 

I    2 


ii6  EXODUS  12.  20-23.     SR 

is  leavened,  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  congre- 
gation of  Israel,  whether  he  be  a  sojourner,  or  one  that 

20  is  born  in  the  land.  Ye  shall  eat  nothing  leavened ;  in 
all  your  habitations  shall  ye  eat  unleavened  bread. 

21  [R]Then  Moses  called  for  all  the  elders  of  Israel, 
and  said  unto  them,  ^Draw  out,  and  take  you  ^  lambs 

22  according  to  your  families,  and  kill  the  passover.  And 
ye  shall  take  a  bunch  of  hyssop,  and  dip  it  in  the  blood 
that  is  in  the  bason,  and  strike  the  lintel  and  the  two 
side  posts  with  the  blood  that  is  in  the  bason  ;  and  none 
of  you  shall  go  out  of  the  door  of  his  house  until  the 

23  morning.  For  the  Lord  will  pass  through  to  smite  the 
Egyptians  ;  and  when  he  seeth  the  blood  upon  the  lintel, 

*0r,  Go  forth  "^Ov,  kids 

19.  the  cong'reg'atiou,  'edhd,  '  company,'  used  especially,  by 
the  Priestly  writers,  for  the  Jewish  community.  To  use  modern 
terms,  the  Church  and  the  Nation  were  identical,  so  that  the 
'  congregation  '  is  at  once  the  body  of  citizens  and  the  company  of 
believers  ;  but  in  the  Priestly  use  of  'cd/id  the  emphasis  is  on  the 
religious  character  of  the  community. 

sojourner,  ^e>-,  'resident  alien,' a  foreigner  residing  more  or 
less  permanently  in  Israel,  under  the  protection  of  an  Israelite 
family  or  authority  ;  later  on  a  proselyte. 

one  that  is  born  in  the  land,  a  native  Israelite,  21  ff.  These 
verses  seem  to  assume  that  the  Passover  is  an  institution  already 
known — note  'the  passover,'  'the  blood  which  is  in  the  basin'; 
Yahweh's  instructions  to  Moses  and  Aaron  said  nothing  about  the 
hyssop  or  the  basin. 

21.  Draw  out,  perhaps  '  Proceed  forthwith '  {BDB.);  the  Syriac 
version  has  '  Make  haste.' 

22.  hyssop,  also  used  for  ceremonial  sprinkling  in  case  of 
leprosy,  Lev.  xiv.  51,  and  in  the  ritual  of  the  red  heifer.  Num. 
xix.  6.  The  nature  of  this  plant  is  not  certainly  known  ;  it  is  said 
that  it  cannot  be  our  hyssop,  which  is  not  found  in  Palestine,  but 
that  it  is  either  the  caper  or  the  Origanum  main,  a  kind  of 
marjoram. 

23.  to  smite  the  Eg-yptians.  Wc  should  probably  understand 
the  firstborn  ;  but,  if  so,  the  words  are  those  of  an  author  assum- 
ing his  reader's  general  acquaintance  with  the  facts,  rather  than 
those  of  a  speaker  communicating  fresh  information. 


EXODUS  12.  24-30.     RPDPJ  117 

and  on  the  two  side  posts,  the  Lord  will  pass  over  the 
door,  and  will  not  suffer  the  destroyer  to  come  in  unto 
your  houses  to  smite  you.     [P]  And  ye  shall  observe  this  24 
thing  for  an  ordinance  to  thee  and  to  thy  sons  for  ever. 
[D]  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  ye  be  come  to  the  25 
land  which  the  Lord  will  give  you,  according  as  he  hath 
promised,  that  ye  shall  keep  this  service.     And  it  shall  26 
come  to  pass,  when  your  children  shall  say  unto  you. 
What  mean  ye  by  this  service?  that  ye  shall  say.  It  is  27 
the  sacrifice  of  the  Lord's  passover,  ^  who  passed  over 
the  houses  of  the  children  of  Israel  in  Egypt,  when  he 
smote  the  Egyptians^  and  delivered  our  houses.     And 
the  people  bowed  the  head  and  worshipped.     [P]  And  28 
the  children  of  Israel  went  and  did  so ;  as  the  Lord  had 
commanded  Moses  and  Aaron,  so  did  they. 

[J]  And  it  came  to  pass  at  midnight,  that  the  Lord  29 
smote  all  the  firstborn  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  the 
firstborn  of  Pharaoh  that  sat  on  his  throne  unto  the  first- 
born of  the  captive  that  was  in  the  dungeon  ;  and  all  the 
firstborn  of  cattle.  And  Pharaoh  rose  up  in  the  night,  30 
he,  and  all  his  servants,  and  all  the  Egyptians ;  and 
there  was  a  great  cry  in  Egypt ;  for  there  was  not  a 
*  Or,  for  that  he  passed 

the  destroyer,  probably  the  Malakh  Yaliweh  acting  as  destroy- 
ing angel.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  connexion  between  Yahweh 
and  the  Malakh  Yahweh  or  Angel  of  Yahweh  are  so  close  that 
the  terms  are  used  interchangeably  ;  cf.  Gen.  xvi.  7.  Or  the  last 
clause  of  the  verse  may  not  be  from  the  same  hand  as  the  earlier 
part, 

25.  promised;  see  on  Gen.  xii.  7. 

27.  the  sacrifice  of  Yahweh's  passover;  cf.  on  verses  5,  7,  8. 

29.  Cf.  verse  4. 

30.  There  was  not  a  house  where  there  was  not  one  dead. 
A  household  in  the  East  is  usually  much  larger  than  with  us,  so 
that  it  would  be  rare  to  find  a  house  in  which  there  was  not  one 
firstborn. 


ii8  EXODUS  12.  ?,i.     JR  J 

31  house  where  there  was  not  one  dead.  And  he  called  for 
Moses  [R]  and  Aaron  [J]  by  night,  and  said,  Rise  up, 
get  you  forth  from  among  my  people,  both  ye  and  the 

xii.  31 — xiii.  16.     The  Exodus. 

(Narrative  and  laws,  compiled  from  J  and  P,  annotated  and 
supplemented.) 

xii.  31-4  (J).     The  Israelites  are  sent  away  in  great  haste. 

35 ,  36  (E\  They  '  borrow  '  jewels  and  raiment  of  the  Egyptians. 

37-9  (J  R).  They  journey  to  Succoth  accompanied  by  their 
flocks  and  herds  and  a  mixed  multitude. 

40-2  (S).  The  duration  of  the  sojourn  in  Egypt  was  four 
hundred  and  thirty  years. 

43-50  (P).  Supplement  to  the  Law  of  the  Passover.  The  Pass- 
over only  to  be  eaten  by  circumcized  persons. 

51  (P).     The  Israelites  leave  Egypt. 

xiii.  I,  2  (P).  Supplement  to  the  Lmv  of  the  Passover.  The 
firstborn  to  be  dedicated  to  Yahweh. 

3-9  (J  R),    Unleavened  Bread  to  be  eaten  seven  days,  as  a  sign. 

10-13  (J)-     The  firstborn  to  be  dedicated  to  Yahweh. 

14-16  (R).     The  story  to  be  told  to  future  generations. 

Sources,  &c.  The  composite  nature  of  the  section  is  obvious. 
There  are  frequent  repetitions  ;  cf.  xiii.  i,  2  with  12,  13  ;  xiii.  6,  7 
with  xii.  14-20  ;  and  xiii.  3,  8,  9  with  14-16.  The  narrative  of 
the  sudden,  hurried  departure  of  two  or  three  million  persons  is 
interrupted  to  introduce  repetitions  and  expansions  of  laws  already 
revealed,  a  repetition  of  the  law  as  to  the  Feast  of  Unleavened 
Bread  being  inserted  in  the  middle  of  the  laws  as  to  the  firstborn. 
This  second  law  as  to  the  Unleavened  Bread  is  inconsistent  with 
the  former  ;  in  xiii.  6  the  feast  is  on  the  seventh  day,  whereas  in 
xii.  14  f.  the  feast  is  on  the  first  day,  though  there  is  also  a 
'  holj'  convocation  '  on  the  seventh  day. 

Thus  the  narrative  is  interwoven  with  laws  from  different 
sources.  The  cause  of  this  combination  is  the  theory  that  all  the 
laws  as  to  the  firstborn,  the  Passover,  and  the  Feast  of  Unlea- 
vened Bread  were  delivered  at  the  time  of  the  departure  from 
Egj'pt,  a  theory  not  always  observed  elsewhere  in  the  Pentateuch, 
The  attempt  to  apply  it  here  has  given  rise  to  much  annotation  on 
the  part  of  editors. 

31.  and  Aaron,  addition  ;  cf.  viii.  8. 
from  amongf  my  people,  perhaps  introduced  from  E  ;  cf.  on 
i.  15  ff.     But,  in  any  case,  even  in  reference  to  the  Israelites  as 
settled  in  Goshen,  Pharaoh  would  think  of  them  as   in   his  land 
and  among  his  people. 


EXODUS   12.  32-37.     JEJS  119 

children  of  Israel ;  and  go,  serve  the  Lord,  as  ye  have 
said.     Take  both  your  flocks  and  your  herds,  as  ye  have  32 
said,    and    be    gone ;    and    bless    me    also.     And    the  33 
Egyptians  were  urgent  upon  the  people,  to  send  them 
out  of  the  land  in  haste ;  for  they  said,  We  be  all  dead 
men.     And  the  people  took  their  dough  before  it  was  34 
leavened,  their  kneadingtroughs  being  bound  up  in  their 
clothes  upon  their  shoulders.     [E]  And  the  children  of  35 
Israel  did  according  to  the  word  of  Moses ;  and  they 
asked  of  the  Egyptians  jewels  of  silver,  and  jewels  of 
gold,  and  raiment :  and  the  Lord  gave  the  people  favour  3^ 
in  the  sight  of  the  Egyptians,  so  that  they  let  them  have 
what  they  asked.     And  they  spoiled  the  Egyptians. 

[J]  And  the  children  of  Israel  journeyed  from  Rameses  37 
to  Succoth,  [S]  about  six  hundred  thousand  on  foot  that 


33.  We  "be  all  dead  men.  No  one  could  tell  what  new  plague 
would  follow  if  the  Israelites  were  not  sent  away  at  once,  perhaps 
the  extermination  of  the  whole  people. 

34.  According  to  this  narrative  the  people  are  not  prepared  for 
any  journey,  and  have  had  no  orders  to  get  rid  of  leaven  ;  on  the 
contrary,  they  have  dough  in  their  houses  which  they  expect  to 
leaven,  and  are  only  prevented  from  doing  so  by  their  sudden 
departure — a  view  of  matters  quite  different  from  that  of  verses 
1-20,  P. 

This   verse    gives   a   traditional    explanation   of    the    Feast   of 
Unleavened  Bread ;  it  commemorates  the  hasty  start  at  the  Exodus, 
when  there  was  no  time  for  leavening. 
kneadin^rougfhs.     Cf.  on  viii.  3. 
35-36.  Cf.  on  iii.  21  f. 
37.  Barneses.     Cf.  i.  11  ;  and  Num.  xxxiii.  3-5. 

Succoth.  As  a  Hebrew  word  this  would  mean  'booths';  cf. 
Gen.  xxxiii.  17.  Here  it  is  the  Hebraized  form  of  the  Eg3'ptian 
Thuku,  either  another  name  for  Pithom  or  the  name  of  a  place 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Pithom.  As  we  are  not 
certain  of  the  position  of  Rameses,  we  cannot  determine  the 
distance. 

six  hundred  thousand  on  foot  that  were  men,  heside 
children.     Here  and  in  x.    10,  taph,  the  word  translated  '  chil- 


120  EXODUS  12.  3S-4I.     SJS 

38  were  men,  beside  children,  [j]  And  a  mixed  multitude 
went  up  also  with  them;   and  flocks,  and  herds,   even 

39  very  much  cattle.  And  they  baked  unleavened  cakes  of 
the  dough  which  they  brought  forth  out  of  Egypt,  for  it 
was  not  leavened  ;  because  they  were  thrust  out  of  Egypt, 
and  could  not  tarry^  neither  had  they  prepared  for  them- 

40  selves  any  victual.  [Sj  Now  the  sojourning  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  which  they  sojourned  in  Egypt,  was 

41  four  hundred  and  thirty  years.     And  it  came  to  pass  at 

dren  '  is  to  be  understood  as  including  women.  The  600,000 
is  probably  a  round  number,  representing  the  603,550  of  Num. 
i.  46,  P,  and  the  601,730  of  Num.  xxvi.  51,  P.  These  figures  in 
Numbers  stand  for  the  fighting  men  of  Israel,  the  tribe  of  Levi  being 
excluded.  The  600,000  also  occurs  in  Num.  xi.  21  in  a  J  passage  ; 
it  is  probably  an  editorial  insertion  in  both  places.  The  words 
used  here  imply  that  the  600,000  were  fighting  men,  so  that  with 
the  '  mixed  multitude '  the  total  could  hardly  be  less  than 
3,000,000;  and  although  J  thinks  of  the  Israelites  as  very  numerous, 
he  has  a  measure  of  historical  feeling,  and  probably  did  not  use 
numbers  in  this  reckless  fashion.  Such  figures  do  not  call  for 
serious  discussion. 

38.  mixed  miiltitude,  *erebh,  a  heterogeneous  collection  of 
non-Israelites,  probably  slaves  who  took  advantage  of  the  panic 
of  the  Egyptians  to  escape.  An  interesting  recognition  on  the 
part  of  ancient  tradition  that  the  Israelite  community  was  of  mixed 
origin.  In  Neh.  xiii.  3  we  read  that  in  the  time  of  Nehemiah 
the  'mixed  multitude'  was  separated  from  the  Jews. 

flocks  and  herds.  The  Israelites  were  not  mere  slave- 
labourers  on  the  Egyptian  public  works,  but  nomad  tribes  with 
cattle. 

40  f.  four  hundred  and  thirty  years.  This  date  is  a  great 
puzzle,  and  cannot  be  reconciled  with  the  other  chronological  data  : 
e.  g,  vi.  16-20,  Aaron  was  the  son  of  Jochebed  the  daughter  of 
Levi,  and  Levi  was  grown  up  before  the  sojourn  began.  In  Gen. 
XV.  13  (which  see)  the  period  of  the  *  affliction  '  of  the  Israelites 
in  Egypt  is  given  as  400  years,  which  may  be  a  traditional  round 
number.  Our  passage  would  then  add  the  30  years  for  the 
period  of  sojourning  in  Egypt  before  the  '■  afiliction '  began.  It 
has  been  pointed  out  that  this  makes  the  time  from  the  Creation 
to  the  Exodus  2,666  years,  two-thirds  of  4,000  years  ;  accord- 
ing to  P,  26  generations  of  100  years  each,  up  to  and  including- 
Aaron  and  Moses,  the  odd  66  years  being  for  the  next  generation, 


EXODUS  12.  42-44.     S  P  121 

the  end  of  four  hundred  and  thirty  years,  even  the 
selfsame  day  it  came  to  pass,  that  all  the  hosts  of  the 
Lord  went  out  from  the  land  of  Egypt.  It  is  ^a  night  42 
to  be  much  observed  unto  the  Lord  for  bringing  them 
out  from  the  land  of  Egypt:  ^Uhis  is  that  night  of  the 
Lord,  to  be  much  observed  of  all  the  children  of  Israel 
throughout  their  generations. 

[P]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses  and  Aaron,  This  43 
is  the  ordinance  of  the  passover  :  there  shall  no  alien  eat 
thereof:    but   every   man's  servant  that   is    bought   for  44 
money,  when  thou  hast  circumcised  him,  then  shall  he 

"Or,  a  night  of  watching  unto  the  Lord 

^Or,  this  same  night  is  a  night  of  watching  unto  the  Lord  for 
all  &c. 


which  was  already  on  the  scene,  but  had  not  run  its  course.  This 
would  fit  in  with  the  male  genealogy  of  Aaron,  viz.  Levi,  Kohath, 
Amram,  Aaron — which  would  account  for  the  430  years  at  the 
rate  of  100  years  a  generation,  and  an  extra  66  as  before,  less  36 
years  for  the  part  of  the  life  of  Levi  before  he  settled  in  Egypt. 
The  above  is  a  good  example  of  the  artificial  and  unreal  character 
of  P's  chronology  ;  a  further  illustration  is  afforded  by  the  fact 
that  430  years  is  double  the  length  of  the  sojourning  of  the 
patriarchs  in  Canaan,  viz.  215  years,  Gen.  xii.  4,  xxi.  5,  xxv.  26, 
xlvii.  9.  The  Septuagint  here  has  435  years  in  both  verses.  Also 
the  Septuagint  and  the  Samaritan  Hebrew  text  attempt  to  lessen 
the  difficulties  by  making  the  number  include  the  sojourns  both  in 
Canaan  and  in  Egypt,  thus  reducing  the  latter  to  220  years.  The 
Septuagint  has  'in  the  land  of  Egypt  and  in  the  land  of  Canaan,' 
the  Samaritan  'in  the  land  of  Canaan  and  in  the  land  of  Egypt.' 

41.  the  selfsame  day,  the  fifteenth  Nisan, 

42.  a  night  to  be  much  observed  (twice),  marg.,  a  night  of 
watching.  The  word  shimmurim,  translated  '  to  be  much  ob- 
served,' 'watching,'  only  occurs  in  this  passage  ;  the  root  Sh  MR 
means  'keep,'  'watch,'  'observe';  'night  of  watching'  will  refer 
to  the  night-long  vigil  observed  at  the  Passover.  The  verse  has 
been  explained,  'It  is  a  night  when  Yahweh  kept  watch  to  bring 
out,  &c.,  therefore  the  night  when  the  Israelites  keep  watch  for 
the  sake  of  Yahweh,  &c.'  (Baentsch). 

44.  The  slave  is  a  member  of  the  family,  and  shares  its  religious 
duties  and  privileges. 


T22  EXODUS  12.  45— 13.  2.    P 

45  eat  thereof.     A  sojourner  and  an  hired  ser\'ant  shall  not 

46  eat  thereof.  In  one  house  shall  it  be  eaten ;  thou  shalt 
not  carry  forth  aught  of  the  flesh  abroad  out  of  the 

47  house ;  neither  shall  ye  break  a  bone  thereof.     All  the 

48  congregation  of  Israel  shall  ^  keep  it.  And  when  a 
stranger  shall  sojourn  with  thee,  and  will  keep  the  pass- 
over  to  the  Lord,  let  all  his  males  be  circumcised,  and 
then  let  him  come  near  and  keep  it ;  and  he  shall  be  as 
one   that  is  born  in  the  land :   but  no  uncircumclsed 

49  person  shall  eat  thereof.  One  law  shall  be  to  him  that 
is   homeborn,   and   unto   the   stranger   that    sojoumeth 

50  among  you.     Thus  did  all  the  children  of  Israel ;  as  the 

51  Lord  commanded  Moses  and  Aaron,  so  did  they.  And 
it  came  to  pass  the  selfsame  day,  that  the  Lord  did 
bring  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  by 
their  hosts. 

2      And   the  Lord  spake  unto  Mos^s,   saying,   Sanctify 

unto  me  all  the  firstborn,  whatsoever  openeth  the  womb 

among  the  children  of  Israel,  both  of  man  and  of  beast : 

it  is  mine. 

<"  Hcb.  do  it. 

45.  A  sojourner  and  an  hired  servant.  The  context  implies 
that  both  are  foreigners  ;  the  term  ger.  '  resident  alien '  (see  on 
ii.  22),  would  apply  to  both.  The  sojourner,  here  toshdbh,  is 
a  foreigner  who  is  his  own  master  as  distinguished  from  one  who 
works  for  hire.  It  is  assumed  that  'an  hired  servant'  will  as 
a  rule  be  a  foreigner. 

46.  neither  shall  ye  "break  a  hone  thereof,  quoted  in  con- 
nexion with  our  Lord's  Passion,  John  xix.  36. 

51.  the  selfsame  day.  The  15th  Nisan,  after  the  night  of  the 
Passover. 

xiii.  2.  Sanctify,  (/r/^^^s//,  dedicate,  devote  to  Yahweh.  Accord- 
ing to  Num.  iii.  11-13,  P,  the  firstborn  children  are  redeemed  b}' 
the  dedication  of  the  Levites  to  the  services  of  the  Temple. 
Then  in  Num.  xviii.  17,  t8,  P,  the  firstlings  of  *  clean  '  animals  were 
to  be  sacrificed,  and  Num.  xviii.  t6,  P,  the  firetlings  of  unclean 
animals  were  to  be  redeemed  with  money  ;  cf.  xiii.  it  ff. 


EXODUS  13.  3-11.     JRJRJRDJ         123 

[J]  And  Moses  said  unto  the  people,  [R]  Remember  3 
this  day,  in  which  ye  came  out  from  Egypt,  out  of  the 
house  of  "  bondage ;  for  by  strength  of  hand  the  Lord 
brought  you  out  from  this  place  :  there  shall  no  leavened 
bread  be  eaten.     [J]  This  day  ye  go  forth  in  the  month  4 
Abib.     [Rj  And  it  shall  be  when  the  Lord  shall  bring  5 
thee  into  the  land  of  the  Canaanite,  and  the  Hittite,  and 
the  Amorite,  and  the  Hivite,  and  the  Jebusite,  which  he 
sware  unto  thy  fathers  to  give  thee,  a  land  flowing  with 
milk  and  honey,  that  thou  shalt  keep  this  service  in  this 
month.     [J]  Seven  days  thou  shalt  eat  unleavened  bread,  6 
and  in  the  seventh  day  shall  be  a  feast  to  the  Lord. 
[R]  Unleavened   bread   shall   be   eaten  throughout   the  7 
seven  days ;  and  there  shall  no  leavened  bread  be  seen 
with  thee,  neither  shall  there  be  leaven  seen  with  thee, 
in  all  thy  borders.     [D]  And  thou  shalt  tell  thy  son  in  8 
that  day,  saying,  It  is  because  of  that  which  the  Lord 
did  for  me  when  I  came  forth  out  of  Egypt.     And  it  9 
shall  be  for  a  sign  unto  thee  upon  thine  hand,  and  for  a 
memorial  between  thine  eyes,  that  the  law  of  the  Lord 
may  be  in  thy  mouth  :  for  with  a  strong  hand  hath  the 
Lord  brought  thee  out  of  Egypt.  [J]  Thou  shalt  there-  10 
fore  keep  this  ordinance  in  its  season  from  year  to  year. 

And   it  shall  be   when    the    Lord   shall    bring   thee  n 
into  the  land  of  the  Canaanite,  as  he  sware  unto  thee 

^  Heb.  bondmen. 

3.  6,  *7  have  already  been  given  as  xii.  17-20,  P. 

4.  Abib,  the  old  Hebrew  name  of  the  month,  called  later  on  by 
the  Babylonian  name  Nisan.  the  'first  month*;  of.  xii.  2,  which 
see.     Cf.  Num.  xxxiii.  3. 

5.  Cf.  iii.  8,  vi.  8. 

8.  Cf.  xii,  26  f.,  xiii.  14. 

9.  See  on  verse  t6. 
11.  Cf.  verse  5. 


T24  EXODUS  13.  12-16.     J  D 

12  and  to  thy  fathers,  and  shall  give  it  thee,  that  thou  shalt 
^  set  apart  unto  the  Lord  all  that  openeth  the  womb, 
and  every   firstling  which  thou   hast  that   cometh  of  a 

13  beast ;  the  males  shall  be  the  Lord's.  And  every  first- 
ling of  an  ass  thou  shalt  redeem  with  a  ^  lamb  ;  and  if  thou 
wilt  not  redeem  it,  then  thou  shalt  break  its  neck :  and 
all   the    firstborn   of  man  among   thy   sons   shalt    thou 

14  redeem.  [D]  And  it  shall  be  when  thy  son  asketh  thee 
in  time  to  come,  saying.  What  is  this?  that  thou  shalt 
say  unto  him.  By  strength  of  hand  the  Lord  brought  us 

15  out  from  Egypt,  from  the  house  of  c bondage:  and  it 
came  to  pass,  when  Pharaoh  ^Uvould  hardly  let  us  go, 
that  the  Lord  slew  all  the  firstborn  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
both  the  firstborn  of  man,  and  the  firstborn  of  beast : 
therefore  I  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  all  that  openeth  the 
womb,  being   males ;  but  all  the  firstborn   of  my  sons 

16  I  redeem.     And  it  shall  be  for  a  sign  upon  thine  hand, 

*  Heb.  cause  to  pass  over.  ^  Or,  kid 

^  Heb.  bondmen. 

'^  Or,  hardened  himself  against  letting  ics  go 

12.  set  apart.  Heb.  lit.  "•  cause  to  pass  over,'  he'ebhir.  the 
term  used  for  sacrificing  the  firstborn  to  Moloch,  e.g.  2  Kings 
xxi.  6.  Here  verse  17  shows  that  the  children  were  not  to  be 
sacrificed  ;  but  the  use  of  the  term  may  be  a  survival  of  a  time 
when  the  firstborn  were  sacrificed,  or  may  be  borrowed  from  the 
Canaanites,  amongst  whom  such  sacrifices  were  common  ;  cf.  on 
xxii.  29. 

13.  every  firstling*  of  an  ass  thou  shalt  redeem,  because  it 
was  unclean,  and  could  not  be  sacrificed. 

all  the  firstborn  of  man  amon^  thy  sous  shalt  thou 
redeem,  probably  with  money ;  cf.  verse  2  and  Num.  iii.  46  f.. 
xviii.  15  f. 

14.  Cf.  verses  3,  8,  16. 

In  time  to  come,  lit.  '  to-morrow.' 

16.  And  it  shall  he  for  a  sig-n  upon  thine  hand,  and  for 

frontlets  between  thine  eyes.  Sec,  almost  identical  with  verse  9  ; 

the  definite  word    '  frontlet '  has  been   substituted  for   the   more 

general  'memorial.'    Both  verses  9  and  16  are  probably  derived 


EXODUS  13.  17.     DE  125 

and  for  frontlets  between  thine  eyes :  for  by  strength  of 
hand  the  Lord  brought  us  forth  out  of  Egypt. 

[E]  And  it  came  to  pass,  ^Yhen  Pharaoh  had  let  the  1 7 


from  Deut.  vi.  8f.  'And  thou  shalt  bind  them  for  a  sign  upon 
thine  hand,  and  they  shall  be  for  frontlets  between  thine  eyes. 
And  thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  doorposts  of  thy  house,  and 
upon  thy  gates.'  In  Exodus^  at  any  rate,  '  the  expressions  are 
evidently  meant  figuratively  ;  cf.  Prov.  i.  9  '  (Driver,  on  Deut. 
vi.  8,  9).  The  passage  in  Dexderononiy  may  be  intended  literally  ; 
it  was  so  interpreted  by  the  Jews,  and  gave  rise  to  the  custom  of 
wearing  phylacteries,  or  cases  containing  inscribed  scrolls,  on  the 
arms  ;  and  of  affixing  somewhat  similar  cases  to  the  doorposts  ; 
see  on  Deut.  vi.  8,  9. 

frontlets,  tdtdphoih,  only  here  and  Deut.  vi.  8,  xi.  18  ;  here 
in  the  figurative  sense  of  'perpetual  remembrance,'  BDB.  The 
derivation  and  original  meaning  are  uncertain  ;  it  is  commonly 
explained  as  a  band  round  the  forehead,  but  also  as  a  kind  of 
tattoo  mark.  In  post-biblical  Hebrew  the  word  is  used  for 
'  phylacteries,'  and  so  is  the  corresponding  word  in  Aramaic. 

xiii.   17 — xiv.  31.     The  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea. 
(Narrative  compiled  from  J,  E,  and  P.) 

xiii.  17-19  (E).  The  Israelites  leave  Egypt.  God  leads  them 
a  circuitous  route  by  the  Red  Sea.  Moses  takes  the  bones  of 
Joseph  with  him. 

20  (P).     They  go  from  Succoth  to  Etham. 

21,  22  (J).  Yahweh  goes  before  them  in  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day 
and  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night. 

xiv.  1-4  (P).  Yahweh  bids  the  Israelites  encamp  by  the  Red 
Sea  that  Pharaoh  may  think  they  are  shut  in.  Yahweh  will 
harden  his  heart  that  he  may  pursue  them,  that  Yahweh  may  be 
glorified.     They  do  so. 

5-6  (J).  After  the  Israelites  have  fled  Pharaoh  changes  his 
mind  and  musters  his  army. 

7  a  (E).     Pharaoh  takes  six  hundred  chosen  chariots, 

7  b  (R).     and  all  the  chariots  of  Egypt. 

8  (P).  Yahweh  hardens  the  heart  of  Pharaoh,  and  he  pursues 
the  Israelites. 

9  a  (J).     The  Egyptians  pursue  the  Israelites. 

9  6  (R  P).     Pharaoh  overtakes  the  Israelites  at  Pi-hahiroth. 

10  a  (J).  The  Israelites  see  the  Egyptians  overtaking  them,  and 
are  afraid. 

106  (E).     They  appeal  to  Yahweh. 


126  EXODUS  13.  17.     E 

people  go,  that  God  led  them  not  by  the  way  of  the  land 
of  the  Philistines,  although  that  was  near ;  for  God  said, 


11-14  (J%  The  people  complain  to  Moses;  he  assures  them 
that  Yahweh  will  deliver  them. 

15  a,  16  a  (E).     Yahweh  bids  Moses  lift  up  his  rod. 

15  6,  16  6-18  (P).  [Yahweh  bids  Moses]  stretch  out  his  hand 
over  the  sea  and  divide  it,  that  the  IsraeUtes  may  go  through  on 
dry  ground.  Then  He  will  harden  the  hearts  of  the  Egyptians, 
that  they  may  follow. 

19  a  (E).  The  angel  of  God  moves  from  the  van  to  the  rear  of 
Israel. 

19  b,  20  (J).  The  Pillar  of  Cloud  moves  from  the  van  to  the  rear 
of  Israel.     The  Egyptians  cannot  get  near  the  Israelites. 

21  a,  c,  22,  23  (P).  Moses  stretches  out  his  hand,  the  waters 
divide  ;  the  Israelites  enter  the  dry  bed  of  the  sea,  and  the 
Egyptians  follow. 

216  (J).     Yahweh  drives  back  the  sea  by  an  east  wind. 

24,  25  (J).  Yahweh  discomfits  the  Egyptians,  and  they  propose 
to  flee. 

26,  27  a,  28  rt  (P).  At  the  bidding  of  Yahweh  Moses  stretches 
his  hand  over  the  sea  that  the  waters  may  return  ;  the  waters 
return  and  drown  the  Egyptian  army. 

27  b,  28  b  (J).  The  waters  return  in  the  morning ;  the  Egyptians 
flee,  but  none  escape. 

29  (P\     The  Israelites  go  safely  over. 

30  (J).     Israel  sees  the  Eg3''ptian  dead  on  the  shore. 

31  (R).     Isi^ael  believes  in  Yahweh  and  Moses. 

Sources,  &c.  Characteristics  of  the  sources  noticed  in  the 
account  of  the  Ten  Plagues  recur  here.  As  in  the  case  of  the 
Locusts,  X,  13,  an  east  wind  plays  an  important  part  in  J's 
narrative,  xiv.  21.  Moses'  rod  appears,  as  elsewhere  in  E, 
xiv.   i6. 

But  Aaron  does  not  appear  in  this  narrative  ;  cf.  however 
XV.  20.  Evidently  Aaron  did  not  figure  in  the  original  tradition, 
and  although  P  had  associated  him  with  Moses  in  the  account  of 
the  Plagues,  it  did  not  occur  to  P  to  introduce  him  here. 

Cf.  also  the  notes  on  xiii.  17,  19,  xiv.  15,  19,  21,  22. 

Josephus,  Ant.  II.  xvi.  5,  supports  the  credibiUty  of  the  narrative 
by  telling  his  readers  that '  for  the  sake  of  those  that  accompanied 
Alexander,  king  of  Macedon,  who  yet  lived  comparatively  but 
a  little  while  ago,  the  Pamphylian  Sea  retired  and  afforded  them 
a  passage  through  itself,  when  they  had  no  other  way  to  go.' 
This  experience  of  Alexander  is  mentioned  in  other  writers,  one 
of  whom  alleges  that   <  the  Pamphylian   Sea  did  not  only  open 


EXODUS  13.  18-20.     E  P  127 

Lest  peradventure  the  people  repent  when  they  see  war, 
and  they  return  to  Egypt :  but  God  led  the  people  about,  18 
by  the  way  of  the  wilderness  by  the  Red  Sea :  and  the 
children  of  Israel  went  up  armed  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt.  And  Moses  took  the  bones  of  Joseph  with  him  :  19 
for  he  had  straitly  sworn  the  children  of  Israel,  saying, 
God  will  surely  visit  you ;  and  ye  shall  carry  up  my 
bones  away  hence  with  you.     [P]  And  they  took  their  20 


a  passage  for  Alexander,  but.  by  rising  and  elevating  its  waters, 
did  pay  him  homage  as  its  king.'     (Whiston's  Note.) 

17-19.  God,  a  mark  of  the  Elohistic  Document.  Although 
his  theory  allowed  him  to  use  '  Yahvveh'  after  the  revelation  of 
that  name  to  Moses,  and  he  usually  does  so  ;   yet,  having  used 

*  Elohim,'  <  God,'  so  far,  he  retains  the  usage  in  some  measure, 
perhaps  as  a  habit. 

17.  the  way  of  the  land  of  the  Philistines,  the  direct  route. 
The  use  of  the  name  'Philistine*  is  an  anachronism,  as  the 
Philistines  did  not  settle  in  Palestine  till  after  the  Israelites. 

repent  when  they  see  war.  Their  spirits  might  prove  to 
have  been  broken  by  their  drudgery  and  subjection  in  Egypt, 
so  that  the3'  could  not  face  armed  opposition. 

18.  Red  Sea,  Ya^n  Stip/i,  '  Sea  of  Rushes  or  Reeds.'  Rushes 
or  reeds  are  fresh-water  plants,  e.  g.  in  ii.  3  (which  see)  Pharaoh's 
daughter,  bathing  in  the  Nile,  sees  the  ark  amongst  the  stip/i,  R.V. 
'  flags.'  Hence  the  Yam  Suph  has  been  identified  with  lagoons 
along  the  Mediterranean  to  the  north-east  of  Egypt  ;  but  this  does 
not  suit  the  route  assigned  to  the  Israelites,  Moreover,  in  i  Kings 
ix.  26.  Eloth  and  Ezion-geber  in  Edom  are  on  the  Yarn  Suph,  so 
that  it  includes  the  Gulf  of  Akaba,  the  north-east  extremity  of  our 
Red  Sea.  Hence  the  Yam  Suph  here  also  will  be,  at  any  rate, 
the  northern  part  of  our  Red  Sea,  including  the  Gulf  of  Suez  and 
the  Gulf  of  Akaba.  Why  it  should  be  called  Yam  Suph  is  a 
mystery;  there  may  have  been  freshwater  marshes  or  shallow 
lakes  continuing  the  present  Gulf  of  Suez,  but  why  should  these 
give  a  name  to  the  sea  ?  Possibly  Suph  is  a  proper  name  which 
originally  had  no  connexion  with  suph,  '  reed.'     The  translation 

*  Red  Sea  '  is  derived  from  the  Septuagint. 

armed,  hamtishim,  a  word  of  uncertain  meaning,  possibly 
'  in  battle  array,'  in  orderly  fashion,  like  an  army.  The  Septuagint 
has  'in  the  fifth  generation.'     '  Five  '  is  hamesh  in  Hebrew. 

19.  Cf.  Gen.  1.  25. 


128  EXODUS   13. 21— 14.  3.     PJF 

journey  from  Succoth,  and  encamped  in  Etham,  in  the 

2 1  edge  of  the  wilderness.     [J]  And  the  Lord  went  before 

them  by  day  in  a  pillar  of  cloud,  to  lead  them  the  way ; 

and  by  night  in  a  pillar  of  fire,    to  give  them   light ; 

2  2  that  they  might  go  by  day  and  by  night :  ''the  pillar  of 

cloud  by  day,  and  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  departed 

not  from  before  the  people. 

14      [P]  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  ]\ioses,  saying,  Speak  unto 

3  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  turn  back  and  encamp 

before  Pi-hahiroth,  between  Migdol  and  the  sea,  before 

Baal-zephon  :  over  against  it  shall  ye  encamp  by  the  sea. 

3  And  Pharaoh  will  say  of  the  children  of  Israel,  They  are 

^  Or,  he  took  not  azvay  the  pillar  of  cloud  by  day,  nor  the  dec. 

20.  Etham,  sometimes  supposed  to  be  a  variation  of  Pithom, 
'P'  being  the  Egyptian  article;  but  if  Succoth  is  practically 
Pithom  (see  on  xii.  37),  either  this  identification  must  be  rejected 
or  the  Priestly  writer  is  more  ignorant  of  geography  here  than 
he  appears  elsewhere.  Pithom,  too,  was  not  'on  the  edge  of  the 
wilderness.'  Some  texts  of  the  Coptic  (Egyptian)  Version  have 
Epethoni  here,  and  in  Num.  xxxiii.  6,  7  the  Septuagint  has  for 
Etham,  Bouthan,  which  jnay  represent  Pithom.  There  are  many 
other  conjectures  as  to  Etham,  but  at  present  its  locality  is  un- 
certain.    Cf.  Num.  xxxiii.  7. 

21.  pillar  of  fire  .  .  .  pillar  of  cloud.  In  Gen.  xv.  17,  J, 
Yahweh  manifests  His  presence  at  night  by  '  a  smoking  furnace 
and  a  flaming  torch,'  and  in  Exodus  iii.  2  '  in  a  flame  of  fire  out 
of  the  midst  of  a  bush.'  In  connexion  with  the  '  pillar  of  fire ' 
the  fire  signals  borne  in  front  of  a  caravan  are  sometimes 
referred  to. 

xiv.  2.  turn  back,  rather  '  turn.'  At  first  they  would  naturally 
march  north-east  so  as  to  pass  to  the  north  of  the  end  of  the  Gulf 
of  Suez  ;  now  they  are  bidden  turn  south  or  south-east  so  as 
to  strike  the  west  shore  of  the  gulf. 

Fi-hahirotli  .  .  .  Migdol  .  .  .  Baal-zephon.  These  places 
are  not  identified  with  certainty  ;  they  were  obviously  close 
together  on  the  west  shore  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez  near  its  north 
end.  There  is  also  some  doubt  as  to  the  extent  of  the  gulf  in 
ancient  times.  Migdol  is  Hebrew  for  'fortress';  cf.  Num. 
xxxiii.  7. 

3.  of  the  children  of  Israel.  Septuagint,  'to  His  people,  the 
children  of  Israel.' 


EXODUS  14.  4-II.     PJERPJRPJEJ      129 

entangled  in  the  land,  the  wilderness  hath  shut  them  in. 
And  I  will  ^  harden  Pharaoh's  heart,  and  he  shall  follow  4 
after  them  ;  and  I  will  get  me  honour  upon  Pharaoh, 
and  upon  all  his  host ;  and  the  Egyptians  shall  know 
that  I  am  the  Lord.     And  they  did  so.     [J]  And  it  was  5 
told  the  king  of  Egypt  that  the  people  were  fled :  and 
the  heart  of  Pharaoh  and  of  his  servants  was  changed 
towards  the  j^eople,  and  they  said,  What  is  this  we  have 
done,  that  we  have  let  Israel  go  from  serving  us  ?  And  6 
he  made  ready  his  ^^  chariot,  and  took  his  people  with 
him :    [E]  and   he   took   six   hundred   chosen   chariots,  7 
[R]  and  all  the  chariots  of  Egypt,  and  captains  over  all 
of  them.     [P]  And  the  Lord  c  hardened  the  heart  of  S 
Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt,  and  he  pursuedafter  the  children  of 
Israel :  for  the  children  of  Israel  went  out  with  an  high 
hand.    [J]  And  the  Egyptians  pursued  after  them,  [R]  all  9 
the  horses  afid  chariots  of  Pharaoh,  and  his  horsemen, 
and  his  army,  [P]  and  overtook  them  encamping  by  the 
sea,   beside    Pi-hahiroth,    before  Baal-zephon.     [J]  And  ro 
when  Pharaoh  drew  nigh,  the  children  of  Israel  lifted  up 
their  eyes,  and,   behold,  the    Egyptians   marched  after 
them  ;  and  they  were  sore  afraid  :  [E]  and  the  children  of 
Israel  cried  out  unto  the  Lord.     [J]  And  they  said  unto  n 
Moses,  Because  there  were  no  graves  in  Egypt,  hast  thou 
taken  us  away  to  die  in  the  wilderness  ?  wherefore  hast 
thou  dealt  thus  with  us,  to  bring  us  forth  out  of  Egypt  ? 
*  Heb.  }uake  strong.         ''  Or,  chariots         ''■  Heb.  wade  strong. 

*7.  captains,  shaltshint,  'thirds,'  perhaps  the  third  man  in  a 
chariot,  although  there  were  only  two  men  in  an  Egyptian  chariot. 
Baentsch  explains  '  picked  soldiers  for  the  chosen  chariots.' 

8.  with  an  high  hand.  From  the  rest  of  the  story,  and  from 
the  other  passages  where  this  and  similar  phrases  occur,  xiii. 
3,  &c.,  it  can  hardly  denote  the  proud  bearing  of  the  Israelites, 
but  rather  the  mighty  intervention  of  God.     Cf.  Num.  xxxiii.  3. 


I30  EXODUS  14.  12-19.     J,  E  P  E  P  E  J 

12  Is  not  this  the  word  that  we  spake  unto  thee  in  Egypt, 
saying,  Let  us  alone,  that  we  may  serve  the  Egyptians  ? 
For  it  were  better  for  us  to  serve  the  Egyptians,  than 

13  that  we  should  die  in  the  wilderness.  And  Moses  said 
unto  the  people,  Fear  ye  not,  stand  still,  and  see  the 
salvation  of  the  Lord,  which  he  will  work  for  you 
to-day ;  ^  for  the  Egyptians  whom  ye  have  seen  to-day, 

14  ye  shall  see  them  again  no  more  for  ever.  The  Lord 
shall  fight  for  you,  and  ye  shall  hold  your  peace. 

15  [E]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Wherefore  criest 
thou  unto  me  ?  [P]  speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 

16  that  they  go  forward.  [E]  And  lift  thou  up  thy  rod, 
[Pj  and  stretch  out  thine  hand  over  the  sea,  and  divide 
it :  and  the  children  of  Israel  shall  go  into  the  midst  of 

17  the  sea  on  dry  ground.  And  I,  behold,  I  will  ^harden 
the  hearts  of  the  Egyptians,  and  they  shall  go  in  after 
them  :  and  I  will  get  me  honour  upon  Pharaoh,  and 
upon  all  his  host,  upon  his  chariots,  and  upon  his  horse- 

i8  men.  And  the  Egyptians  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord, 
when  I  have  gotten  me  honour  upon  Pharaoh,  upon  his 

19  chariots,  and  upon  his   horsemen.     [E]  And  the  angel 

of  God,  which  went  before  the  camp  of  Israel,  removed 

and  went  behind  them ;  [J]  and  the  pillar  of  cloud  removed 

^  Or,  for  whereas  ye  have  seen  the  Egyptians  to-day 
^  Heb.  wake  strong. 


12.  Let  us  alone,  &c.  These  words  have  not  been  given  ;  but 
cf.  v.  ai,  vi.  g. 

15.  Wherefore  orlest  thou  unto  me?  Moses'  crymg  to 
Yahweh  has  been  omitted  in  order  to  insert  the  complaint  of 
the  people  and  Moses'  reply. 

17.  Cf.  ix.  16,  xiv.  4, 

19.  the  angel  of  Ood.  Not  elsewhere  in  this  section  as  it  now 
stands,  but  doubtless  the  presence  of  this  angel  and  the  part 
played  by  him  were  more  fully  explained  in  E's  narrative,  of 
which  this  is  a  fragment ;  cf.  on  xiii,  17. 


EXODUS  14.  20-25.     J  E  J  P  J  P  J  131 

from  before  them,  and  stood  behind  them;  [Ej  and  it  20 
came  between   the  camp    of  Egypt   and   the   camp  of 
Israel ;  [J]  and  there  was  the  cloud  and  the  darkness,  yet 
gave  it  light  by  night :  and  the  one  came  not  near  the 
other  all  the  night.     [P]  And  Moses  stretched  out  his  21 
hand  over  the  sea ;  [J]  and  the  Lord  caused  the  sea  to 
go  back  by  a  strong  east  wind  all  the  night,  [P]  and  made 
the  sea  dry  land,  and  the  waters  were  divided.     And  the  2  a 
children  of  Israel  went  into  the  midst  of  the  sea  upon  the 
dry  ground :  and  the  waters  were  a  wall  unto  them  on 
their  right  hand,  and  on  their  left.    And  the  Egyptians  pur-  23 
sued,  and  went  in  after  them  into  the  midst  of  the  sea, 
all  Pharaoh's  horses,    his  chariots,    and  his  horsemen. 
[J]  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  morning  watch,  that  the  24 
Lord   looked   forth   upon   the   host   of  the   Egyptians 
through  the  pillar  of  fire  and  of  cloud,  and  discomfited 
the   host   of  the  Egyptians.     And   he   ^  took  off  their  25 
"Some  ancient  versions  read,  hound. 


20.  An  oracle  addressed  to  the  Assyrian  king,  Esarhaddon, 
promises,  *  I,  Ishtar,'  a  goddess,  'will  cause  smoke  to  come  up  at 
thy  right  hand  and  fire  at  thy  left.' 

there  was  the  cloiid  and  the  darkness,  &c.  The  exact 
sense  is  obscure,  and  the  text  may  not  be  correct  ;  the  versions 
differ  in  some  respects  from  the  Hebrew.  But  probably  the 
meaning  of  the  original  was  that  the  cloud  was  dark  to  the 
Egyptians,  while  it  gave  light  to  the  Israelites  (Hohinger). 

21.  a  strong*  east  wind  would  seem  to  drive  the  waters  on 
to  the  Israelites  ;  perhaps  a  north-east  wind  is  meant.  A  *  violent 
wind '  is  less  likely. 

xiv.  21-22.  In  these  verses  we  have  two  different  views.  In  verse 
21  a,  by  J,  a  strong  east  wind  drives  back  the  water  and  leaves 
a  dry  passage,  i.  e.  the  whole  bed  of  a  shallow  arm  of  the  sea 
is  left  bare.     Probably  the  returning  tide  was  checked  for  a  time. 

In  22,  P,  a  narrow  passage  is  left  dry  and  the  water  is  heaped 
up  high  on  each  side  like  a  wall. 

24.  the  morningf  watch,  the  last  of  the  three  parts  into  which 
the  Israelites  divided  the  night. 

25.  took   off.     The   Samaritan   Hebrew  text,  the  Septuagint, 

K  2 


132     EXODUS   14.  26—15.  T.     JPJPJPJRL 

chariot  wheels,  ^  that  they  drave  them  heavily  :  so  that 
the  Egyptians  said,  Let  us  flee  from  the  face  of  Israel ; 
for  the  Lord  fighteth  for  them  against  the  Egyptians. 

26  [P]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Stretch  out  thine 
hand  over  the  sea,  that  the  waters  may  come  again  upon 
the  Egyptians,  upon  their  chariots,  and  upon  their  horse- 

27  men.  And  Moses  stretched  forth  his  hand  over  the  sea, 
[J]  and  the  sea  returned  to  its  ^  strength  when  the  morning 
appeared  ;  and  the  Egyptians  fled  against  it ;  and  the 
Lord  c  overthrew  the  Egyptians  in  the  midst  of  the  sea. 

38  [P]  And  the  waters  returned,  and  covered  the  chariots, 
and  the  horsemen,  even  all  the  host  of  Pharaoli  that 
went  in  after  them  into  the  sea  ;  [J]  there  remained  not  so 

29  much  as  one  of  them.  [P]  But  the  children  of  Israel  walked 
upon  dry  land  in  the  midst  of  the  sea ;  and  the  waters 
were  a  wall  unto  them  on  their  right  hand,  and  on  their 

30  left.  [J]  Thus  the  Lord  saved  Israel  that  day  out  of 
the  hand  of  the  Egyptians  ;  and  Israel  saw  the  Egyptians 

31  dead  upon  the  sea  shore.  [R]  And  Israel  saw  the  great 
^^  work  which  the  Lord  did  upon  the  Egyptians,  and 
the  people  feared  the  Lord  :  and  they  believed  in  the 
Lord,  and  in  his  servant  Moses. 

L5  [LJ  Then  sang  Moses  and  the  children  of  Israel  this 
song  unto  the  Lord,  and  spake,  saying, 

*  Or,  and  made  them  to  drive  ^  Or,  ivonted  flcnv 

<=  Heb.  shook  off.  ^  Heb.  hand. 

and  the  Syriac  versions  have  'bound,'  which  is  preferable. 
With  the  wheels  off  they  could  hardly  be  said  to  drive  at  all. 
'  Bound '  would  mean  that  the  wheels  became  clogged  so  that 
they  did  not  turn  properly.  The  difference  in  the  Hebrew 
between  '  took  off'  and  *  bound  '  is  very  slight. 

27.  overthrew,  lit.  'shook  off';   the  Egyptians  were  scattered 
here  and  there. 

XV.  1-21.     The  Song  of  the  Red  Sea. 
(A  Lyric,  with  Introduction  and  Conclusion.).     .     . 

Jrt.     Introduction.  '^   ^^^^       ' 


EXODUS  15.  2.     L  133 

I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord,  for  he  »  hath  triumphed 

gloriously : 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the  sea. 
b  The  Lord  is  my  strength  and  song, 
And  he  is  become  my  salvation  : 

*  Or,  t's  highly  exalted  ^  Heb.  Jah, 

16-18.      The  Lyric. 

I  A-3.     The  warlike  prowess  of  Yahweh. 

4-5.     The  drowning  of  the  Egj'ptians  in  the  Red  Sea. 

6-7.     How  Yahweh  destroys  His  foes. 

8-10.     The  drowning  of  the  Egyptians  in  the  Red  Sea. 

11-16.  By  His  incomparable  power  Yahweh  destroyed  the 
enemy,  and  safely  guided  Israel  to  Palestine.  The  inhabitants  of 
Canaan  were  terror-striken  at  the  catastrophe  of  the  Red  Sea, 
so  that  they  did  not  molest  Israel. 

17-18.    Yahweh  will  settle  Israel  in  Canaan  and  reign  for  e\'er. 

19.  Conclusion. 

20,  21  (E).  Miriam,  Aaron's  sister,  leads  the  Israelite  women 
while  they  celebrate  the  deliverance  with  dance  and  song,  singing 
the  opening  lines  of  the  above  lyric. 

Sources,  &c.  Verses  16,  21  b,  'I  will  sing  unto  Yahweh  .  .  . 
into  the  sea,'  are  an  ancient  couplet  which  has  been  expanded 
into  the  poem  of  verses  1-19.  This  lyric  was  not  composed  by 
any  one  of  the  main  authors  of  the  Pentateuch.  It  may  have 
circulated  as  an  independent  work,  or  may  have  been  preserved 
in  a  collection  of  poems. 

It  implies  the  Conquest  of  Canaan,  verses  13-16,  and  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Temple,  verse  17,  and  the  writer  seems  acquainted  with 
the  narratives  of  J  and  E,  so  that  the  poem  cannot  be  much  older 
than  750  B.  c.  The  relation  to  P  is  not  certain.  Possibly  some  of 
the  points  in  P's  narrative,  cf.  xiv.  21,  xv.  8,  were  suggested  by 
this  poem,  and  if  so  it  maj'  have  been  composed  towards  the  close 
of  the  monarchy.  It  is  also  possible,  though  less  probable,  that 
the  author  of  the  poem  was  acquainted  with  P,  in  which  case 
it  would  be  post-exilic.     It  has  been  inserted  by  one  of  theeditovs. 

Verses  20,  21  are  ascribed  to  E  on  accaunt  of  the  mention  of 
Miriam,  who  only  appears  in  E  in  the  older  documents  ;  and 
because  of  her  description  as  'prophetess' — E  takes  a  special 
interest  in  prophecy. 

1.  Cf.  verse  21. 

2.  The  LORD  is  my  strength  and  song-, 
And  he  is  become  my  salvation. 

These  two  lines  also  occur  with  \  er^'  i;light  changes  in  Isa.  xii.  2  ; 
Ps.  cxviii.  14. 


134  EXODUS  15.  3-9-     L 

This  is  my  God,  and  I  will  praise  him ; 

My  father's  God,  and  I  will  exalt  him. 

The  Lord  is  a  man  of  war  : 

The  Lord  is  his  name. 

Pharaoh's  chariots  and  his  host  hath  he  cast  into 

the  sea : 
And  his  chosen  captains  are  sunk  in  the  Red  Sea. 
The  deeps  cover  them  : 
They  went  down  into  the  depths  like  a  stone. 
Thy  right  hand,  O  Lord,  is  glorious  in  power, 
Thy  right  hand,  O  Lord,  dasheth   in  pieces  the 

enemy. 
And  in  the  greatness  of  thine  excellency  thou  over- 

throwest  them  that  rise  up  against  thee  : 
Thou  sendest  forth  thy  wrath,  it  consumeth  them 

as  stubble. 
And  with  the  blast  of  thy  nostrils  the  waters  were 

piled  up. 
The  floods  stood  upright  as  an  heap ; 
The  deeps  were  congealed  in  the  heart  of  the  sea. 
The  enemy  said, 
I  will  pursue,  I  will  overtake,  I  will  divide  the  spoil : 


The  LORD,  Heb.  '  Yah,'  the  contracted  form  of  Yahweh. 
song.     The  Septuagint  has  *  protector,'  skepastes. 
salvation,  deliverance. 

3.  man  of  war,  warrior. 

4.  captains:  cf.  xiv.  7. 

*7.  tlie  greatness  of  thine  excellency,  thy  great  majesty  or 
exaltation. 

8.  Cf.  xiv.  23. 

floods,  nozelim,  elsewhere  of  rivers.  In  Joshua  iii.  13,  16 
the  Jordan  stands  as  an  heap.  The  writer  may  be  refernng  to 
the  drying-up  of  the  Jordan  as  well  as  of  the  Red  Sea. 

The  deeps  were  congealed.  '  A  poetical  description  of  the 
piling-up  of  the  waves  like  solid  masses '  {KD,). 

9.  The  enemy,  the  Egyptians. 


EXODUS  15.  10-15.     L  135 

My  lust  shall  be  satisfied  upon  them ; 

I  will  draw  my  sword,  my  hand  shall  destroy  them. 

Thou  didst  blow  with  thy  wind,  the  sea  covered  10 

them : 
They  sank  as  lead  in  the  mighty  waters. 
Who  is  like  unto  thee,  O  Lord,  among  the  gods?     n 
Who  is  like  thee,  glorious  in  holiness, 
Fearful  in  praises,  doing  wonders  ? 
Thou  stretchedst  out  thy  right  hand,  la 

The  earth  swallowed  them. 
Thou  in  thy  mercy  hast  led  the  people  which  thou  13 

hast  redeemed : 
Thou  hast  guided  them  in  thy  strength  to  thy  holy 

habitation. 
The  peoples  have  heard,  they  tremble  :  14 

Pangs  have  taken  hold  on  the  inhabitants  of  Philistia. 
Then  were  the  dukes  of  Edom  amazed ;  15 

The  ^  mighty  men  of  Moab,  trembling  taketh  hold 

upon  them : 
All  the  inhabitants  of  Canaan  are  melted  away. 

*  Heb.  rams. 

My  lust,  my  desire  (nephesh)  for  vengeance,  plunder,  &c. 

10.  Thou  didst  blow  with  thy  wind.  In  xiv.  21  6,  27,  J, 
the  wind  drives  back  the  water,  and  the  sea  returns,  apparently 
when  the  wind  falls.  Here  the  wind  drives  the  water  upon  the 
Egyptians. 

11.  glorious  in  holiness,  ne^dar  baq-qodesh,  exalted  in  unique 
divine  power  and  majesty. 

fearful  in  praises,  inspiring  awe  by  the  mighty  deeds  for 
which  His  people  praise  Him. 

12.  The  earth  swallowed  them.  These  words  do  not  suit 
the  drowning  of  the  Egyptians  ;  they  may  refer  to  the  fate  of 
Dathan  and  Abiram,  Num.  xvi.  30,  32. 

13.  mercy,  kindliness,  goodwill,  loving-kindness. 
thy  holy  habitation,  the  Holy  Land. 
Philistia:  cf.  xiii.  17. 

15.  dukes,  chiefs  ;  see  on  Gen.  xxxvi.  15. 


136  EXODUS  15.  i6-2o.     LE 

16  Terror  and  dread  falleth  upon  them ; 

By  the  greatness  of  thine  arm  they  are  as  still  as 

a  stone ; 
Till  thy  people  pass  over,  O  Lord, 
Till  the  people  pass  over  which  thou  hast  ^  purchased. 

17  Thou  shalt  bring  them  in,  and  plant  them  in  the 

mountain  of  thine  inheritance. 
The  place,  O  Lord,  which  thou  hast  made  for  thee 

to  dwell  in, 
The  sanctuary,   O    Lord,   which    thy   hands    have 

established. 

18  The  Lord  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever. 

19  For  the  horses  of  Pharaoh  went  in  with  his  chariots 
and  with  his  horsemen  into  the  sea^,  and  the  Lord  brought 
again  the  waters  of  the  sea  upon  them ;  but  the  children 
of  Israel  walked  on  dry  land  in  the  midst  of  the  sea. 

20  [E]  And  Miriam  the  prophetess,  the  sister  of  Aaron,  took 
a  timbrel  in  her  hand;   and  all  the  women  went  out 

*  Heb.  gotten. 


17.  the  mountain  of  thine  inheritance.  Taken  by  themselves 
these  words  would  suggest  the  Temple-hill  in  Jerusalem  ;  cf. 
I  Kings  viii.  13.  But  we  can  hardly  think  of  Israel  as  '  planted  ' 
in  the  Temple-hill,  so  that  here,  as  in  verse  13,  the  reference 
seems  to  be  to  Palestine,  thought  of  as  a  hill-country.  The  last 
two  lines,  however,  seem  to  refer  to  the  Temple  ;  we  might 
perhaps  render,  *  where  is  the  place  which  Thou  hast  made,'  &c. 

20.  Miriam,  the  prophetess,  the  sister  of  Aaron.  Con- 
sidering that  Aaron  is  much  less  conspicuous  than  Moses  in  the 
preceding  narratives,  we  should  have  expected  Miriam  to  be 
described  as  the  sister  of  Moses.  It  almost  seems  as  if  in  this 
source  Aaron  was  not  the  brother  of  Moses.  The  leading  of  the 
women  in  ?ongs  and  dances  is  an  example  of  the  prophetic 
functions  of  Miriam.  The  earlier  prophets  were  subject  to 
religious  ecstasy  ;  cf.  i  Sam.  x.  5.  See  also  on  Exod.  vii.  i  and  Gen. 
XX.  7.  The  only  other  references  to  Miriam  in  the  Pentateuch 
arc  Num.  xii.  1-15,  the  rebellion  of  Aaron  and  Miriam  against 
Moses  ;  cf.  Deut.  xxiv.  9  ;  Num.  xx,  i,  her  death  ;  Num.  xxvi.  59, 


EXODUS  15.  21-25.     i^  J  137 

after  her  with  timbrels  and  with  dances.     And  Miriam  21 
answered  them, 

Sing    ye    to   the    Lord,    for    he  ^  hath    triumphed 
gloriously ; 

The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the  sea. 

[J]  And  Moses  led  Israel  onward  from  the  Red  Sea,  22 
and  they  went  out  into  the  wilderness  of  Shur ;  and  they 
went  three  days  in  the  wilderness^  and  found  no  water. 
And  when  they  came  to  Marah,  they  could  not  drink  of  23 
the  waters  of  Marah,  for   they  were   bitter  :    therefore 
the  name  of  it  was  called  ^  Marah.     And  the  people  24 
murmured  against  Moses,  saying,  What  shall  we  drink  ? 
And  he  cried  unto  the  Lord  ;   and  the  Lord  shewed  25 
him  a  tree,  and  he  cast  it  into  the  waters,  and  the  waters 
*  Or,  is  highly  exalted  '^  That  is,  Bitterness. 

her  place  in  the  genealogy.  In  Micah  vi.  4,  Moses,  Aaron,  and 
Miriam  are  mentioned  as  the  leaders  of  Israel.  Miriam  is  explained 
as  either  'corpulent'  or  'rebellious';  it  is  the  original  of  Mary 
and  Mariamne. 

witli  timbrels  and  with  dances:  cf.  i  Sam.  xviii.  6,  7. 

21.  answered.      Miriam  and  her  choir  sang  antiphonally. 

XV.  22  27.     Marah  and  Elim. 
(A  narrative  from  J,  with  additions;  cf.  Num.  xxxiii.  9.) 
22-25  a  (J)'     The  Israelites  find  bitter  water  at  Marah  ;  Moses 
sweetens  it  by  means  of  a  tree  shown  him  by  Yahweh. 

25  b  fE).     [YahwehJ  gives  the  people  laws  and  proves  them  . .  . 

26  (R).  Immunity  from  disease  promised  as  the  reward  of 
obedience. 

27  (J).     The  Israelites  encamp  at  Elim. 

22.  the  wilderness  of  Shiir,  the  district  of  the  north-east 
frontier  of  Egypt. 

23.  Marah,  not  certainly  identified  ;  various  sites  on  the  east  of 
the  Gulf  of  Suez  have  been  suggested. 

25.  the  LORD  shewed  him  a  tree.  Another  illustration  of  J'S 
habit  of  referring  results  to  natural  causes  under  Divine  guidance 
and  control.  It  is  said  that  a  shrub  in  this  district  has  the  quality 
ascribed  to  the  '  tree.' 

He  made  for  them  a  statute  ...  he  proved  them.     In  the 


138  EXODUS  15.  26— 16.  I.     J  E  R  J  P 

were  made  sweet.     [E]  There  he  made  for  them  a  statute 

26  and  an  ordinance,  and  there  he  proved  them ;  [R]  and 
he  said,  If  thou  wilt  dihgently  hearken  to  the  voice  of 
the  Lord  thy  God,  and  wilt  do  that  which  is  right  in  his 
eyes,  and  wilt  give  ear  to  his  commandments,  and  keep 
all  his  statutes,  I  will  put  none  of  the  diseases  upon  thee, 
which  I  have  put  upon  the  Egyptians :  for  I  am  the  Lord 
that  healeth  thee. 

27  [J]  And  they  came  to  Elim,  where  were  twelve  springs 
of  water,  and  threescore  and  ten  palm  trees :   and  they 

16  encamped  there  by  the  waters.     [P]  And  they  took  their 

present  context  '  he  *  would  be  Moses ;  but  it  is  Yahweh  who 
'  proves  '  Israel.  The  fragment  is  usually  assigned  to  E.  Perhaps 
a  paragraph  of  E  stood  here  in  an  early  edition  of  the  narrative, 
and  most  of  its  contents  have  been  replaced  by  other  material. 
We  should  have  expected  to  hear  how  Yahweh  *  proved '  Israel ;  the 
bitter  water  is  not  an  adequate  explanation.  '  Proved '  is  from 
NSH,  the  root  of  Massah  ;  E's  Massah  story  may  have  stood 
here  originally. 

26.  and  he  said.     The  subject  is  Yahweh. 

I  will  put  none  of  the  diseases  upon  thee,  &c.  This  verse 
is  not  very  suitable  to  the  situation.  Apparently  something  went 
wrong  with  the  piecing  together  of  the  sources,  or  a  bit  of  the 
manuscript  got  torn  away,  and  the  editor  did  his  best  to  set 
things  right.  We  might  make  some  such  connexion  as  follows  : 
At  Marah  the  Israelites  had  found  themselves  threatened  with 
one  of  the  plagues  of  Egypt,  undrinkable  water  ;  Yahweh  had 
delivered  them  from  this,  and  similarly,  if  they  were  obedient. 
He  would  protect  them  from  the  diseases  which  had  afflicted  the 
Egyptians. 

the  ZiOSD  that  healeth  thee :  *  Yahweh  thy  Healer '  sounds 
like  a  title  of  Yahweh,  perhaps  a  reminiscence  of  a  lost  narrative. 

27.  Elim,  variously  identified  with  Wady  Gherandel,  sixty- 
three  miles  south-east  from  Suez  ;  and  with  'Ayun  Mttsa,  'the 
Wells  of  Moses,'  in  the  same  district  as  Marah. 

xvi.     The  Manna  and  the  Quails. 

(A  narrative  from  P,  freely  annotated.) 

1-3  (P)'  The  Israelites  come  into  the  Wilderness  of  Sin,  and 
murmur  at  their  meagre  fare. 


EXODUS  16.  1.     P  139 

journey  from   Elim,  and  all   the   congregation  of  the 

4  (E).  Yahweh  announces  that  He  will  rain  bread  from  heaven 
to  see  if  the  IsraeHtes  will  observe  His  law. 

5  (S).     A  double  portion  to  be  gathered  on  the  sixth  day. 

6-7  (P).  Moses  and  Aaron  declare  to  the  people  that  Yahweh 
will  justify  Himself. 

8  (S).     He  will  give  them  abundant  food. 

9-10  (P).     The  Glory  of  Yahweh  appears. 

11-12  (P).     Yahweh  promises  flesh  and  bread. 

13-14  (P).  Quails  cover  the  camp  in  the  evening,  and  the 
*  bread  '  appears  in  the  morning. 

15-18  (P).  Moses  bids  the  people  gather  an  omer  apiece  ;  they 
gather  some  more,  some  less  ;  but  when  they  measure  it  each  has 
just  an  omer. 

19-21  (P).  Moses  directs  that  none  shall  be  left  till  the  morning; 
nevertheless  some  is  left,  and  it  becomes  putrid. 

22-30  (S).  On  the  sixth  day  they  gather  two  omers  apiece  ; 
this  apparent  disregard  of  his  instructions  is  reported  to  Moses, 
who  explains  that  this  is  a  special  provision  for  the  Sabbath — 
a  double  amount  is  to  be  gathered  on  the  sixth  day  and  none  on 
the  Sabbath. 

31-35  (P).  The  Israelites  call  the  'bread'  Manna;  an  omer  is 
put  in  a  pot  and  laid  up  before  Yahweh.  The  Israelites  eat 
manna  fort}'  years. 

36  (S).     The  amount  of  an  omer. 

Sources,  &c.  With  the  exception  of  the  fragment  of  E  in 
verse  4,  the  section  belongs  to  the  Priestly  Code  and  the  editors 
who  supplemented  and  annotated  it.  But  as  the  Priestly  writer 
did  not  invent  such  narratives  as  that  of  the  manna  and  the  quails, 
it  is  probable  that  he  has  used  a  story  from  J,  and  expanded  it 
into  an  illustration  of  the  application  of  the  Law  of  the  Sabbath, 
a  piece  of  case  law.  The  omission  of  the  J  story  is  probably  due 
to  the  fact  that  all  its  leading  features  were  reproduced  in  P,  so 
that  it  is  quite  reasonable  to  suppose  that  some  of  the  more  purely 
narrative  phrases  and  sentences  are  simply  appropriated  from  J  ; 
cf.  xvi.  31  and  Num.  xi.  7,  J  or  E. 

But  the  section  is  clearly  out  of  place  ;  it  implies  at  least  the 
Law  of  the  Sabbath,  the  Ark,  and  the  Tables  of  the  Law,  none  of 
which  existed  at  this  time  ;  cf.  verses  9,  23,  33  f.  Moreover,  the 
episode  of  the  Quails  is  given  in  Num.  xi,  after  the  giving  of 
the  Law  on  Sinai.  Thus  this  chapter  must  have  stood  in  the 
Priestly  Code  after  the  Sinai  legislation.  As  it  stands  the  reference 
to  the  Quails  has  nothing  to  lead  up  to  it,  and  no  sequel.  Any 
explanation  can  only  be  advanced  with  much  hesitation  ;  but 
something  like  the  following  may  possibly  have  happened.  The 
original    Priestly    Code    may    have    combined    the    Manna   and 


140  EXODUS  16.  I.     P 

children  of  Israel  came  unto  the  wilderness  of  Sin,  which 
is  between  Elim  and  Sinai,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the 
second  month  after  their  departing  out  of  the  land  of 

the  Quails  in  one  narrative.  When  the  editor  combined  this  with 
J  and  E,  he  may  have  found  a  narrative  of  the  Manna  at  the 
beginning,  where  it  now  stands,  and  have  transferred  P's  account 
to  that  place,  adding  to  it  verse  4  and  perhaps  other  elements 
from  J  E.  The  need  for  food  would  arise  as  soon  as  the  Israelites 
entered  the  wilderness  and  exhausted  the  scanty  stores  they 
would  be  able  to  bring  with  them  ;  therefore  the  miraculous 
provision  for  their  wants  would  naturally  begin  at  once.  To 
avoid  clashing  with  J's  story  of  the  Quails,  Num.  xi,  he  intended 
to  omit  the  references  to  them,  but  did  not  fully  carry  out  his 
intention.  He  and  his  followers  overlooked  the  anachronisms 
caused  by  transferring  the  chapter  to  the  beginning  of  the 
Wanderings  ;  cf.  also  on  verse  i. 

The  late  origin  of  verse  15  «  is  seen  from  the  fact  that  the  word 
man,  translated  '  what,'  is  not  Hebrew  but  Aramaic. 

In  Num.  xxxiii.  11  the  route  is  Elim,  'camp  by  the  Red  Sea,' 
wilderness  of  Sin. 

1.  the  wilderness  of  Sin,  some  district  east  of  the  Gulf  of 
Suez.  If  Sinai  is  our  '  Sinai,'  this  wilderness  would  be  one  of 
the  plains  not  far  from  the  Gulf;  but  if  Sinai  is  somewhere  south 
of  the  Dead  Sea,  the  wilderness  would  be  farther  west.  It  is 
only  mentioned  here,  xvii.  i  and  Num.  xxxiii.  ii  f.  It  can  hardly 
be  connected  with  the  Sin  of  Ezek.  xxx.  15  f.,  which  is  usually 
located  north-east  of  Egypt.  The  resemblance  to  Sinai  suggests 
that  the  wilderness  and  the  mountain  were  in  the  same  district, 
and  that  the  names  are  connected.  According  to  Num.  xx.  i,  &c., 
after  leaving  Sinai  the  Israelites  came  to  a  wilderness  of  Zin, 
where  they  were  distressed  for  want  of  water,  as  at  Rephidim. 
Hence  it  has  been  supposed  that  Sin  and  Zin  are  two  forms  of 
the  same  name.  In  Num.  xxxiii.  36  Zin  is  identified  with 
Kadesh. 

Sinai.  For  the  position,  see  on  Horeb,  iii.  i.  The  name  is 
derived  from  the  Babylonian  moon-god.  Sin,  and  it  should  be 
noted  that  Ur  and  Haran,  the  early  homes  of  Abraham,  were 
seats  of  the  worship  of  Sin  ;  Sarah  is  a  name  of  the  female 
counterpart  of  Sin  ;  Milcah,  the  name  of  Nahor's  wife,  is  a  title  of 
Ishtar,  who  was  worshipped  at  Haran  ;  and  Laban  mdiy  be 
another  name  of  the  moon-god,  KAT.,  p.  364  f.  A  title  of  Sin 
is  'the  self-producing  one'  (Jcremias)  ;  cf.  iii.  14. 

the  fifteenth  day  of  the  second  month,  according  to  the 
reckoning  in  xii.  i,  one  mouth  after  the  departure,  somewhere 
in  May. 


EXODUS  16.  2-7.     PESP  141 

Egypt.     And  the  whole  congregation  of  the  children  of  2 
Israel  murmured  against  Moses  and  against  Aaron  in 
the  wilderness :    and  the  children   of  Israel  said  unto  ?, 
them,  Would  that  we  had  died  by  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
in  the  land  of  Egypt,  when  we  sat  by  the  flesh  pots,  when 
we  did  eat  bread  to  the  full ;  for  ye  have  brought  us  forth 
into  this  wilderness,   to  kill  this  whole  assembly  with 
hunger.     [E]  Then  said  the  Lord  unto  Moses,  Behold,  4 
I  will  rain  bread  from  heaven  for  you ;   and  the  people 
shall  go  out  and  gather  a  day's  portion  every  day,  that  I 
may  prove  them,  whether  they  will  walk  in  my  law,  or  no. 
[S]  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  on  the  sixth  day,  that  they  5 
shall  prepare  that  which  they  bring  in,  and  it  shall  be 
twice  as  much  as  they  gather  daily.    [P]  And  Moses  and  6 
Aaron  said  unto  all  the  children  of  Israel,  At  even,  then 
ye  shall  know  that  the  Lord  hath  brought  you  out  from 
the  land  of  Egypt :    and  in  the  morning,  then  ye  shall  7 
see  the  glory  of  the  Lord  ;   for  that  he  heareth  your 

3.  died  by  the  hand  of  the  ItOBD.  As  if  they  had  left 
unwillingly,  through  fear  of  Divine  judgement  if  they  stayed. 

we  did  eat  bread  to  the  fall  seems  hardly  consistent  with 
the  earlier  descriptions  of  their  wretched  condition  in  Egypt ;  but 
perhaps  *  distance  lent  enchantment  to  the  view.' 

4.  that  I  may  prove  them.  Cf.  xv.  25.  It  is  not  clear  what 
the  nature  of  the  test  Was  in  the  original  context,  but  in  the 
chapter  as  it  stands  the  test  would  be  connected  with  the  limita- 
tion of  the  daily  amount  gathered  ;  the  daily  provision,  none  to  be 
left  for  the  next  day ;  and  the  gathering  a  double  portion  on  the 
sixth  day,  and  none  on  the  seventh. 

5.  Cf.  verses  9,  23. 

6.  the  ZiORD  hath  ■broiig'ht  you  out,  i.  e.  it  was  Yahweh  who 
had  brought  them  out,  not  Moses  and  Aaron,  as  in  verse  3. 

7.  the  glory  of  the  LORD  :  apparently  an  appearance,  probabl}' 
of  light,  seen  in  the  cloud  in  verse  10.  But  this  appearance  seems 
to  have  been  manifested  at  once  according  to  verse  10  ,•  and  here 
the  'glory'  is  not  to  be  seen  till  the  morning.  Hence  tlie  'glory' 
here  has  been  explained  as  the  manifestation  of  Yahweh's  power 
and  faithfulness  in  sending  the  manna.     The  explanation  of  the 


142  EXODUS  16.  8-13.     PSP 

murmurings  against  the  Lord  :  and  what  are  we,  that  ye 

8  murmur  against  us  ?  [S]  And  Moses  said,  This  shall  be, 
when  the  Lord  shall  give  you  in  the  evening  flesh  to  eat, 
and  in  the  morning  bread  to  the  full ;  for  that  the  Lord 
heareth  your  murmurings  which  ye  murmur  against  him  : 
and  what  are  we?  your  murmurings  are  not  against  us, 

9  but  against  the  Lord.  [P]  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron, 
Say  unto  all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
Come  near  before  the  Lord  :    for  he  hath  heard  your 

10  murmurings.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  Aaron  spake  unto 
the  whole  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they 
looked  toward  the  wilderness,  and,  behold,  the  glory  of 

1 1  the  Lord  appeared  in  the  cloud.     And  the  Lord  spake 

12  unto  Moses,  saying,  I  have  heard  the  murmurings  of  the 
children  of  Israel :  speak  unto  them,  saying,  ^  At  even  ye 
shall  eat  flesh,  and  in  the  morning  ye  shall  be  filled  with 
bread  ;  and  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

1 3  And  it  came  to  pass  at  even,  that  the  quails  came  up, 

*  Heb.  Between  the  two  evenings. 

discrepancy  lies  somewhere — we  cannot  say  where — in  the  com- 
plicated process  of  composition  and  annotation. 

what  are  we,  that  ye  murmtir  against  ns.  In  murmuring 
against  Moses  and  Aaron  they  were  really  murmuring  against 
God. 

8  6  =  7  ^'. 

9.  Ccme  near  before  the  ZiOBD.  The  words  imply  some 
sanctuary  at  which  the  Divine  Presence  would  be  manifested; 
the  reference  might  be  to  the  Pillar  of  Cloud.  But  this  chapter 
takes  for  granted  much  that  has  not  yet  been  mentioned,  but 
is  provided  for  hereafter,  e.  g.  the  law  of  the  Sabbath,  verses  5.  23. 
In  verse  23  a  pot  of  manna  is  to  be  laid  up  *  before  Yahweh, 
to  be  kept  for  your  generations,'  and  in  verse  34  '  before 
Yahweh '  is  explained  as  *  before  the  Testimony,'  i.  e.  '■  the  Ark '  ; 
cf.  verse  34. 

10.  they  looked  toward  the  wilderness,  perhaps  in  the 
direction  of  the  Pillar  of  Cloud. 

13.  the  quails  oame  up.  '  Flesh  '  has  been  mentioned,  verses 
8, 12,  but  nothing  has  been  said  about  quails,  and  nothing  more  is 


EXODUS  16.  M,  15.     P  143 

and  covered  the  camp  :  and  in  the  morning  tlie  dew  lay 
round  about  the  camp.     And  when  the  dew  that  lay  was  14 
gone  up,  behold,  upon  the  face  of  the  wilderness  a  small 
'^  round  thing,  small  as  the  hoar  frost  on  the  ground. 
And  when  the  children  of  Israel  saw  it,  they  said  one  to  15 
another,  ^What  is  it?   for  they  wist  not  what  it  was. 

*  Or,  flake  ^  Or,  It  is  manna     Heb.  Man  hit. 


said  about  them,  whereas  in  Num.  xi  there  is  a  whole  chapter 
about  the  quails,  preceded  by  a  paragraph  on  the  unsatisfying 
nature  of  the  manna.  Here  again  the  editor  has  not  been  quite 
successful  in  deahng  with  his  materials  ;  he  perhaps  intended  to 
omit  any  reference  to  the  quails  here,  but  has  not  fully  carried  out 
his  ideas  ;  cf.  above  on  Sources. 

14.  a  small  round  tMng*  (marg.  flake),  small  as  the  hoar 
frost  .  .  .  15  .  .  .  they  said  one  to  another,  What  is  it  ?  (marg. 
It  is  manna)  .  .  .  31  .  .  ^  the  house  of  Israel  called  the  name 
thereof  Manna  (Heb.  Man) :  and  it  was  like  coriander  seed, 
white  ;  and  the  taste  of  it  was  like  wafers  made  with  honey. 
The  'round  thing'  or  'flake,'  me/ni^pds,  is  translated  by  the 
Septuagint,  '  like  white  coriander  seed,'  an  interpretation  borrowed 
from  verse  31.  The  Vulgate  has  '  as  if  pounded  by  a  pestle,'  pilo 
tusum.  The  word  only  occurs  here,  and  its  meaning  is  matter 
of  controversy.  Coriander  seed  is  only  mentioned  here  and 
Num.  xi.  7,  also  in  connexion  with  manna ;  the  so-called  seed  is 
really  fruit ;  it  is  straw-coloured,  and  about  the  size  of  a  pepper- 
corn {DB.  and  EB.).  Wafer,  zepih'ith^  occurs  only  here.  In 
Num.  xi.  7  f.  the  manna  is  said  to  be  '  like  coriander  seed,  and  the 
appearance  thereof  as  the  appearance  of  bdellium ' ;  it  was  ground 
ill  mills,  or  beaten  in  mortars,  and  tasted  like  fresh  oil ;  and  the 
Israelites  got  very  tired  of  it,  so  that  *  their  soul  was  dried  away,' 
i.  e.,  as  we  should  say,  they  were  dying  for  something  more 
palatable. 

Bdellium,  or  rather  the  bedolah  it  represents,  may  be  a 
whitish  gum,  or  some  kind  of  precious  stone,  or  a  pearl ;  cf.  on 
Gen.  ii.  12.  There  is  nothing  in  Num.  xi  to  show  that  the 
manna  was  supernatural.  In  Ps.  Ixxviii.  24  f.  it  is  spoken  of  as 
'corn  from  heaven'  and  'angels'  food.'  Cf.  also  Deut.  viii.  3,  6; 
Joshua  V.  12 ;  Neh.  ix.  20. 

The  derivation  in  verse  15,  What  is  it,  Man  hii,  is  one  of  the 
usual  popular  guesses,  and  has  no  etymological  value.  The 
Hebrew  for  '  manna,'  viz.  w««,  is  an  equivalent  of  the  Arabic 
manna  \   the  name  is  of  a   'sweet,  sticky,  honey-like'   (BDB.^ 


144  EXODUS  16.  16-1S.     P 

And  Moses  said  unto  them,  It  is  the  bread  which  the 

16  Lord  hath  given  you  to  eat.  This  is  the  thing  which 
the  Lord  hath  commanded,  Gather  ye  of  it  every  man 
according  to  his  eating ;  an  omer  a  head,  according  to 
the  number  of  your  persons,  shall  ye  take  it,  every  man 

1 7  for  them  which  are  in  his  tent.     And  the  children  of 
iS  Lsrael  did  so,  and  gathered  some  more,  some  less.     And 

when  they  did  mete  it  with  an  omer,  he  that  gathered 
much  had  nothing  over,  and  he  that  gathered  little  had 
no  lack;  they  gathered  every  man  according  to  his  eating. 


juice,  exuding  in  heavy  drops,  in  May  or  June,  from  a  shrub  found 
in  the  Sinai  peninsula.  This  also  is  said  to  be  '  a  dirt}'  yellow, 
but  white  when  it  falls  upon  stones  ;  it  falls  upon  the  earth  in 
grains,  is  gathered  in  the  morning,  melts  in  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
and  has  the  flavour  of  honey '  {KD.).  This  natural  manna  would 
account  for  the  paragraph  in  Numbers ;  but  the  narrative  here 
implies  a  supernatural  provision,  on  account  of  the  immense 
quantities  which  must  have  been  supplied.  The  basis  of  the  stor}' 
is  no  doubt  a  primitive  idea  that  the  natural  manna  dropped,  not 
from  trees,  but  from  heaven.  Josephus,  Ant.  II.  iii.  i,  tells  us 
that  in  his  time  this  manna  still  came  down  in  rain,  clearly 
identifying  it  with  the  natural  manna. 

16.  every  man  according  to  his  eating*,  as  in  xii.  4  ;  so  much 
apiece,  or  less  probably  an  average  of  so  much,  reckoning  a  suit- 
able amount  according  to  age  and  sex. 

omer.  The  exact  values  of  the  Israelite  weights  and  measures 
are  not  certainly  known.  They  varied  somewhat  at  different  times. 
When  this  document,  the  Priestlj'  Code,  was  compiled  the 
Ephah  might  be  reckoned  as  rather  less  than  2|  pecks,  and 
the  Omer,  the  tenth  part  of  the  Ephah  (cf  verse  36),  as  rather 
less  than  two  quarts.  The  'omer  is  only  mentioned  in  this  chapter, 
and  must  be  carefully  distinguished  from  the  homer,  which  was  ten 
ephahs. 

17-18.  The  sense  is  not  clear  ;  but  apparently  the  meaning  is 
that  in  some  miraculous  waj',  however  much  or  however  little 
a  man  gathered,  when  he  took  it  to  his  tent  and  measured  it, 
there  was  just  an  omer  apiece  for  his  family  ;  any  excess  had 
vanished,  any  deficiency  had  been  made  up.  It  has  also  been 
interpreted  to  mean  that  *  thej'  found  that  adherence  to  the 
prescribed  proportion  exactly  used  up  the  available  amount ' 
{Ox/^  Hex.)  :  there  was  just  enough  for  them  to  gather  an  omer 


EXODUS  16.  19-26.     P  S  145 

And  Moses  said  unto  them,  Let  no  man  leave  of  it  till  19 
the  morning.     Notwithstanding  they  hearkened  not  unto  ^o 
Moses  j  but  some  of  them  left  of  it  until  the  morning, 
and  it  bred  worms,  and  stank  :  and  Moses  was  wroth  with 
them.     And  they  gathered  it  morning  by  morning,  every  21 
man  according  to  his  eating :  and  when  the  sun  waxed 
hot,  it  melted.     [S]  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  on  the  22 
sixth  day  they  gathered  twice  as  much  bread;  two  omers 
for  each  one  :  and  all  the  rulers  of  the  congregation  came 
and  told  Moses.     And  he  said  unto  them,  This  is  that  23 
which  the  Lord  hath  spoken,  To-morrow  is  a  solemn 
rest,  a  holy  sabbath  unto  the  Lord  :  bake  that  which  ye 
will  bake,  and  seethe  that  which  ye  will  seethe ;  and  all 
that  remaineth  over  lay  up  for  you  to  be  kept  until  the 
morning.    And  they  laid  it  up  till  the  morning,  as  Moses  24 
bade :  and  it  did  not  stink,  neither  was  there  any  worm 
therein.     And  Moses  said.  Eat  that  to-day  ;  for  to-day  is  25 
a  sabbath  unto  the  Lord  :  to-day  ye  shall  not  find  it  in 
the  field.    Six  days  ye  shall  gather  it ;  but  on  the  seventh  26 

apiece  and  none  over.     But  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  this  can  be 
got  from  either  the  Hebrew  or  the  English  ;  cf.  on  verse  16. 

20,  21.  The  natural  manna  does  not  putrefy  rapidly,  but  it  does 
melt  in  the  sun. 

22.  The  people,  without  express  instructions,  were  specially 
inspired  to  gather  a  double  quantity  on  the  sixth  day.  This 
seemed  to  the  rulers  a  breach  of  the  command  to  gather  only  one 
omer  a  day,  and  they  report  it  to  Moses. 

23.  Moses  explains  that  the  people  have  been  divinely  guided 
— this  seems  implied — to  provide  for  the  due  observance  of  the 
Sabbath. 

This  is  that  which  the  LOBD  hath  spoken,  i.e.  'Tins 
conduct  is  in  accordance  with  the  law  of  the  Sabbath  given  by 
Yahweh.'  Nothing  has  been  said  as  to  this  revelation  ;  another 
indication  that  the  chapter  is  not  in  its  proper  place  :  cf.  verse  9.  It 
should  come  somewhere  after  the  Ten  Commandments. 

a  solemn  rest,  a  holy  sahhath,  shabbathon  shabbath  qodesh^ 
a  phrase  denoting  by  repetition, '  a  day  that  is  specially  or  assuredly 
a  sacred  day  of  rest.' 

L 


146  EXODUS  IG.  27-34.     SP 

a;  day  is  the  sabbath,  in  it  there  shall  be  none.  And  it 
came  to  pass  on  the  seventh  day,  that  there  went  out 
some  of  the  people  for  to  gather,  and  they  found  none. 

28  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  How  long  refuse  ye  to 

29  keep  my  commandments  and  my  laws  ?  See,  for  that  the 
Lord  hath  given  you  the  sabbath,  therefore  he  giveth 
you  on  the  sixth  day  the  bread  of  two  days ;  abide  ye 
every  man  in  his  place,  let  no  man  go  out  of  his  place  on 

30  the  seventh  day.     So  the  people  rested  on  the  seventh 

31  day.  [P]  And  the  house  of  Israel  called  the  name  thereof 
^  Manna  :  and  it  was  like  coriander  seed,  white ;  and  the 

33  taste  of  it  was  like  wafers  made  with  honey.  And  Moses 
said,  This  is  the  thing  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded. 
Let  an  omerful  of  it  be  kept  for  your  generations ;  that 
they  may  see  the  bread  wherewith  I  fed  you  in  the 
wilderness,  when  I  brought  you  forth  from  the  land  of 

33  Egypt.  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  Take  a  pot,  and 
put  an  omerful  of  manna  therein,  and  lay  it  up  before  the 

34  Lord,  to  be  kept  for  your  generations.  As  the  Lord 
commanded   Moses,   so   Aaron   laid   it   up   before   the 

*  Heb.  Man, 

28.  The  going  out  to  gather  manna  was  work  which  violated 
the  injunction  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath. 

29.  his  place,  his  tent  and  its  immediate  neighbourhood.  The 
definition  of  the  limits  of  the  place  gave  rise  to  much  hair-splitting 
casuistry  amongst  the  Rabbis  of  later  times. 

31.  See  on  verse  14. 

32.  greueratious,  posterity. 

33.  34.  Cf.  verse  9. 

33.  a  pot,  according  to  the  Septuagint  *  a  golden  pot,'  a  view 
which  the  Priestly  writer  would  certainly  have  endorsed,  with  a 
feeling  of  regret  that  he  had  forgotten  to  give  expression  to  it 
himself. 

34.  before  the  Testimony,  'eduth,  i.  c.  before  the  Ark.  The 
tables  of  stone  are  called  '  the  Tables  of  the  Testimony,'  as  con- 
taining the  commandments,  which  testified  God's  will ;  then  the 
Ark  is  called  '  the  Ark  of  the  Testimony,'  as  containing  the  two 


EXODUS  16.  35—17.  i.     P  S  P  E  147 

Testimony,  to  be  kept.     And  the  children  of  Israel  did  35 
eat  the  manna  forty  years,  until  they  came  to  a  land 
inhabited  ;  they  did  eat  the  manna,  until  they  came  unto 
the  borders  of  the  land  of  Canaan.     [S]  Now  an  omer  is  36 
the  tenth  part  of  an  ephah. 

[P]  And  all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel  17 
journeyed  from  the  wilderness  of  Sin,  by  their  ^  journeys, 
according  to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord,  and  pitched 
in  Rephidim  :  [E]  and  there  was  no  water  for  the  people 

*  Or,  stasres 


tables,  XXV.  22,  xxxi.  18.  Neither  Ark  nor  tables  were  yet  in 
existence,  another  sign  of  the  misplacement  of  the  chapter;  cf. 
verse  9. 

35.  According  to  Joshua  v.  12  the  manna  continued  till  after 
the  Israelites  crossed  the  Jordan,  i.  e.  till  after  the  death  of  Moses. 

36.  Cf.  verse  16. 

xvii.  1-7.  Water  from  the  Rock. 
(A  narrative  from  J  E.) 

I  a  (P).     The  Israelites  come  to  Rephidim. 

lb,  2  (E).  The  people  strive  with  Moses  because  there  is  no 
water. 

3  (J).  The  people  murmur  against  Moses  because  there  is  no 
water. 

4-6  (E)  (J).  Moses,  at  the  bidding  of  Yahvveh,  smites  the  rock 
in  Horeb,  and  water  comes  forth. 

7  a,  c  (J  ^  The  place  is  called  Massah, . . .  because  the  Israelites 
tempted  Yahweh. 

7  b  (E).  [The  place  is  called]  Meribah,  because  the  Israelites 
strove  with  Yahweh. 

Sources,  &c.  In  Num.  xx.  1-13  a  second  version  of  this  story 
is  given,  compiled  chiefly  from  J  and  P.  In  Numbers  Meribah  is 
at  Kadesh  ;  Moses  strikes  the  rock  in  anger,  with  Aaron's  rod 
taken  from  the  Tabernacle  (cf.  Num.  xvii.  10)  ;  and  on  account  of 
this  anger  Moses  and  Aaron  are  excluded  from  Canaan.  The 
relation  of  the  two  versions  is  a  difficult  problem,  of  which  no 
satisfactory  solution  has  yet  been  proposed. 

1.  Bephidim.  In  Num.  xxxiii.  14  the  route  is — wilderness  of 
Sin,  Dophkah,  Alush,  Rephidim.  The  last-named  is  only 
mentioned  in  Exod.  xvii,  xix,  and  Num.  xxxiii.     Its  position  is 

.    2 


148  EXODUS  17.  2-7.     E  J  E  J  E 

2  to  drink.  Wherefore  the  people  strove  with  Moses,  and 
said,  Give  us  water  that  we  may  drink.  And  Moses  said 
unto  them.  Why  strive  ye  with  me?   wherefore  do  ye 

3  tempt  the  Lord  ?  [J]  And  the  people  thirsted  there  for 
water;  and  the  people  murmured  against  Moses,  and 
said,  Wherefore  hast  thou  brought  us  up  out  of  Egypt,  to 
kill   us   and   our  children    and  our  cattle  with   thirst  ? 

4  [E]  And  Moses  cried  unto  the  Lord,  saying.  What  shall 
I  do  unto  this  people  ?  they  be  almost  ready  to  stone  me. 

5  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Pass  on  before  the 
people,  and  take  with  thee  of  the  elders  of  Israel ;  and 
thy  rod,  wherewith  thou  smotest  the  river,  take  in  thine 

6  hand,  and  go.  Behold,  I  will  stand  before  thee  there 
upon  the  rock  in  Horeb ;  and  thou  shalt  smite  the  rock, 
and  there  shall  come  water  out  of  it,  that  the  people  may 
drink.     And  Moses  did  so  in  the  sight  of  the  elders  of 

7  Israel.  [J]  And  he  called  the  name  of  the  place  '■  Massah, 
[E]  and  ^^  Meribah,  because  of  the  striving  of  the  children 

*That  is.  Tempting,  or,  Proving.       ''That  is.  Otiding^  or,  Strife. 

not  known,  but  it  must  have  been  somewhere  near  Sinai— unless 
the  whole  section  is  misplaced,  and  Rephidim,  with  the  Meribah 
of  Numbers  and  Deuferononiy,  is  at  Kadesh. 

2.  tempt,  from  the  root  NSH,  translated  'prove'  in  xv.  25,  xvi. 
4  ;  there  Yahweh  proved  Israel,  here  vice  versa. 

5.  wherewith  thou  smotest  the  river  :  cf.  vii.  20. 

6.  the  rook  in  Koreb.  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  what  rock 
is  meant,  and  the  parallel  account  in  Numbers  is  equally  vague. 
For  Horeb  see  iii.  1. 

7.  Massah  .  .  .  hecause  they  tempted.  Massah  from  NSH ; 
cf.  on  verse  a.  The  place  is  unknown  :  it  is  only  mentioned 
elsewhere  Deut.  vi.  16,  ix.  22,  xxxiii.  8  ;  see  next  note. 

Meribah  .  .  .  because  of  the  striving'.  Meribah  is  from  the 
root  RYB/t,  'to  strive.'  In  Num.  xx.  13  'the  waters  of 
Meribah '  are  so  called  '  because  the  Israelites  strove  with 
Yahweh.'  In  Num.  xx,  xxvii.  14,  Deut.  xxxii.  51,  Meribah  is  at 
Kadesh — a  position  which  would  suit  the  neighbourhood  of 
Amalek ;  see  verse  8.     In  the  reference  to  Massah  and  Meribah  in 


EXODUS  17.  8-10.     E  J  E  149 

of  Israel,  [J]  and  because  they  temptca  the  I.ort>,  saying, 
Is  the  Lord  among  us,  or  not  ? 

[E]  Then   came  Amalek,   and  fought   witli   Israel    in  8 
Rephidim.     And   Moses  said  unto  Joshua,  Choose  us  9 
out  men,  and  go  out,  fight  with  Amalek :    to-morrow  I 
will  stand  on  the  top  of  the  hill  with  the  rod  of  God  in 
mine  hand.     So  Joshua  did  as  Moses  had  said  to  him,  10 
and  fought  with  Amalek :    and  Moses,  Aaron,  and  Hur 

Deut.  xxxiii.  8,  Yahweh  'proves'  Levi.  Levi  may  stand  for 
Moses  and  Aaron  ;  or  the  passage  may  refer  to  another  version  of 
the  story,  now  lost,  but  originally  connected  with  xv.  25. 

xvii.  8-16.  The  Defeat  of  Amalek. 
(A  narrative  from  E.) 

8-13  (E).  Amalek  attacks  Israel.  Joshua  leads  the  army,  while 
Moses  secures  victory  by  going  to  the  top  of  '  the  hill '  and  holding 
up  his  rod.  When  he  is  tired  Aaron  and  Ilur  hold  up  his  hands. 
The  battle  lasts  till  sunset,  and  Amalek  is  completely  defeated. 

14  (R"".  The  Divine  determination  to  exterminate  Amalek  is  to 
be  recorded  in  a  book. 

15,  16    E' .     Moses  builds  an  altar,  Vahweh-nissi. 

Soiurcs,  Sec.  Probably  this  incident,  like  the  preceding,  originally 
stood  at  a  later  stage  of  the  stor3';  a  struggle  with  Amalek  appears 
in  Num.  xiv.  43,  45,  and  there  Amalek  is  rather  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Kadesli  than  in  that  of  Sinai.  At  the  same  time  a  nomad 
tribe  is  quite  capable  of  raids  at  a  distance  from  its  usual  home ; 
cf.  on  verse  9. 

xvii.  8.  Amalek,  a  nomad  tribe  of  the  \\nlderness  south  of 
Palestine  ;  cf.  on  Gen.  xiv.  7. 

Rephidim.     See  on  verse  i. 

9.  Joshua,  mentioned  for  the  first  time,  without  any  description, 
father's  name,  &c.,  as  if  he  were  a  well-known  person.  Later  on, 
however,  xxxiii.  11,  E,  he  appears  as  'his  [Moses']  attendant, 
Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  a  young  man  ' — as  if  he  were  being 
introduced  for  the  first  time.  Probably  in  E  this  incident  originally 
followed  that  in  xxxiii ;  cf.  above.  Sources,  also  what  is  said  of 
Hur  in  verse  10.  The  name  probably  means  'Yahweh  saves,'  in 
Num.  xiii.  16,  Hoshea,     Jesus  is  a  form  of  Joshua. 

the  hill,  like  '  the  rock  '  in  verse  6  :  there  is  nothing  to  show 
what  hill  is  meant. 

the  rod  of  Ood.     Cf.  iv.  17. 

10.  Aaron.     The  first  place  where  we  can  be  reasonably  sure 


15©  EXODUS  ir.  11-14.     ER 

11  went  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  Moses  held  up  his  liand,  that  Israel  prevailed  :  and 

12  when  he  let  down  his  hand,  Amalek  prevailed.  But 
Moses'  hands  were  heavy ;  and  they  took  a  stone,  and 
put  it  under  him,  and  he  sat  thereon ;  and  Aaron  and 
Hur  stayed  up  his  hands,  the  one  on  the  one  side,  and 
the  other  on  the  other  side ;    and  his  hands  were  steady 

13  until  the  going  down  of  the  sun.  And  Joshua  '"^discom- 
fited Amalek  and  his  people  with  the  edge  of  the  sword. 

14  [R]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Write  this  for  a 
memorial   in   a   book,  and   rehearse  it  in  the  ears   of 

*  Heb.  prostrated. 


that  the  mention  of  Aaron  belongs  to  the  ancient  tradition,  and  is 
not  due  to  the  editor;  but  cf.  on  verse  11. 

Kur,  introduced,  Hke  Joshua,  without  any  description,  either 
because  originally  Hur  played  a  larger  part  in  E,  and  had  been 
described  in  some  omitted  passage,  or  because  he  was  a  well- 
known  figure  of  ancient  tradition.  He  is  only  mentioned  elsewhere 
in  xxiv.  14,  again  in  conjunction  with  Aaron,  unless  he  is  to  be 
identified  with  the  Hur  of  xxxi.  2,  the  grandfather  of  Bezaleel,  or 
the  Hur,  king  of  Midian  in  Num.  xxxi.  8.  Persons  of  this  name 
are  also  mentioned  i  Kings  iv.  8,  Neh.  iii.  9.  According  to 
Josephus,  Ant.  HI.  ii.  4,  vi.  i,  he  was  the  husband  of  Miriam. 
EB.  suggest  a  connexion  with  the  Egyptian  god  Horus.  Another 
suggestion  (Me3'er)  is  that  he,  as  eponymous  ancestor,  represents 
the  Horites,  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  south  of  Canaan. 

11.  his  hand.  The  versions  and  the  Samaritan  text  have 
Miands/  as  in  verse  12.  But  there  seem  to  be  two  views  in  these 
verses  :  according  to  one,  Moses  holds  up  the  rod,  obviously  in 
one  hand  ;  according  to  the  other,  Moses  holds  up  both  hands,  i.  e. 
assumes  an  attitude  of  prayer.  It  seems  hardly  reasonable  to 
suggest  that  he  held  the  rod  first  in  one  hand,  then  in  the  other  ; 
if  so,  whj'  should  Aaron  and  Hur  hold  up  both  hands  at  once? 
Perhaps  in  the  original  tradition  Moses  held  up  the  rod  and  only 
Hur  supported  him  ;  then  the  use  of  the  two  hands  was  introduced 
to  make  room  for  Aaron. 

14.  this,  the  battle  with  Amalek  and  the  Divine  doom  of  that 
people. 

in  a  book,  the  earliest  reference  to  Moses  as  an  author. 

rehearse  it  in  the  ears  of,  perhaps  'impress  it  upon,'  as  if 


EXODUS   17.  15— 18.  I.     RER  151 

Joshua  :  ^  that  I  will  utterly  blot  out  the  remembrance  of 
Amalek  from  under  heaven.     [E]  And  Moses  built  an  15 
altar,  and  called  the  name  of  it  ^  Jehovah-nissi :    and  he  16 
said,  c  I'he  Lord  hath  sworn  :    the  Lord  will  have  war 
with  Amalek  from  generation  to  generation. 

Now  Jethro,  [R]  the  priest  of  Midian,  Moses'  father  18 

'■Or, /or  That  is,  The  Lord  is  my  banner. 

•^  Or,  Because  there  is  a  hand  against  the  throne  of  the  Lord 
Heb.  A  hand  is  lifted  up  upon  the  throne  of  J  ah. 

he  were  to  carry  it  out.  Actually  punishment  was  inflicted  upon 
Amalek  by  Gideon,  Judges  vi.  3,  33  ;  Saul,  i  Sam.  xv  ;  and  David, 
I  Sam.  XXX,  2  Sam.  viii.  12. 

15,  16.  Virtually  equivalent  to  14  ;  the  altar  with  its  name  and 
(probably)  its  inscription  serves  the  same  purpose  as  the  '  book,' 
and  is  no  doubt  original,  verse  14  being  an  editorial  addition. 

15.  Yahweh-nissi,  marg..  That  is,  Yahweb  my  lianuer. 
Perhaps  the  name  Yahweh  is  an  ensign.  It  is  possible  that  the 
similarity  of  'nissi '  to  NSH,  the  root  of  Massah,  may  account  for  the 
proximity  of  the  two  narratives. 

16.  The  ZiOBD  hath  sworn,  taking  the  rendering,  marg. 
Heb.,  A  hand  .  .  .  upon  the  throne  of  Jah  to  denote  a  gesture 
which  a  king  would  use  in  taking  an  oath  ;  but  both  the  render- 
ing and  the  interpretation  are  more  than  doubtful.  The  other 
marg..  Because  there  is  a  hand  asfainst  the  throne  of  the 
ZiOBD  is  not  much  better.  Probably  by  a  very  slight  alteration  ^ 
of  the  text  we  should  read,  *  A  hand  on  the  banner  of  Yah.'  In 
the  original  story  the  stone  on  which  Moses  sat  may  have  been 
set  up  for  the  altar  (Baentsch). 

xviii.  The  Visit  of  Jethro. 
(A  narrative  from  E,  with  additions.) 

1-7  (E).     Jethro  brings  Zipporah  and  her  two  sons  to  Moses. 

8- 1 1  (R).  Moses  tells  Jethro  the  marvellous  doings  of  Yahweh, 
and  Jethro  gives  praise  to  Him. 

12  (E  .     Jethro  makes  a  feast  for  the  Israelite  notables. 

13-23  (E).  Observing  how  Moses  is  burdened  with  judicial 
duties,  Jethro  advises  him  to  appoint  subordinates  to  take  the 
lighter  cases. 

24-26  (E).     Moses  acts  upon  this  advice. 

27  (E).     Jethro  goes  home. 

*  Nes,  r:,  instead  of  fCes,  C2. 


152  EXODUS  18.  2-5.     RERE 

in   law,  heard   of  all   that  God   had  done  for  Moses, 
and   for   Israel    his   people,    how   that   the   Lord   had 

2  brought  Israel  out  of  Egypt.  And  Jethro,  Moses'  father 
in  law,  [E]  took  Zipporah,  Moses'  wife,  [R]  after  he  had 

3  sent  her  away,  [Ej  and  her  two  sons  ;  of  which  the  name 
of  the  one  was  Gershom ;    for  he  said,  I  have  been  » a 

4  sojourner  in  a  strange  land  :  and  the  name  of  the  other 
was  ^^  Eliezer ;  for  he  said.  The  God  of  my  father  was  my 

5  help,  and  delivered  me  from  the  sword  of  Pharaoh  :  and 
Jethro,  Moses'  father  in  law,  came  with  his  sons  and  his  wife 
unto  Moses  into  the  wilderness  where  he  was  encamped, 

*Heb.  Ger.     See  ch.  ii.  22.         "Heb.  £"/,  God,  and  {zer^  help. 

Sources,  &c.  The  names  'God,'  'Jethro,'  and  other  features 
show  that  the  main  narrative  is  E.  It  has  been  supplemented,  but 
to  what  extent  is  not  clear ;  nor  can  we  be  certain  whether  the 
editorial  additions  are  based  upon  J.     Cf.  notes  on  verses  i,  8-12. 

In  Deut.  i.  9-18  Moses  reminds  the  people  how  he  had  made 
these  arrangements,  but  he  does  not  acknowledge  his  indebtedness 
to  Jethro. 

1.  Jethro.  See  on  iii.  1,  tlie  priest  of  Midian,  the  description  of 
Moses'  father-in-law  in  J  (cf.  ii.  16),  inserted  here  b}'  an  editor. 

how  that  the  IiOSD  had  broug^ht  Israel  out  of  Egypt.  Also 
an  editorial  insertion,  the  main  narrative  in  this  chapter  uses 
*  God  ' ;  cf.  on  verses  8-12,  and  see  Somrcs. 

2.  Zipporah.  See  on  ii.  21.  This  is  the  last  time  she  is 
mentioned.  It  is  curious  that,  as  far  as  the  extant  narrative  is 
concerned,  neither  Moses  nor  any  one  else  takes  an}'  notice  of  the 
wife  and  two  sons,  after  the  bare  announcement  in  verse  6.  In 
J,  ii.  22,  which  see,  Moses  has  only  one  son,  Gershom,  and  he  takes 
his  wife  and  son  with  him  to  Egypt,  iv.  20, 

after  he  had  sent  her  away.  The  phrase  is  more  obscure  in 
Hebrew  than  in  English  ;  but  the  meaning  seems  to  be  that  when 
Moses  arrived  in  Egypt  he  sent  his  wife  back  to  her  father.  The 
phrase  is  an  editorial  insertion  intended  to  do  away  with  the 
discrepancy  between  this  chapter  and  iv.  20. 

3.  Oershom.     See  on  ii.  22. 

4.  Eliezer,  only  here  and  in  i  Chron.  xxiii.  15,  17,  xxvi.  25, 
probably  the  same  as  the  Eleazar  who  is  frequently  mentioned  as 
Aaron's  son  ;  see  vi.  23.  There  were  several  Israelites  of  this 
name,  some  of  them  priests  or  Levites. 


EXODUS   18.6-12.     ERE  153 

at  the  mount  of  God :    and  he  said  unto  Moses,  I  thy  6 
father  in  law  Jethro  am  come  unto  thee,  and  thy  wife, 
and  her  two  sons  with  her.     And  Moses  went  out  to  7 
meet  his  father  in  law,  and  did  obeisance,  and  kissed 
him ;    and  they  asked  each  other  of  their  welfare ;    and 
they  came  into  the  tent.     [R]  And  IMoses  told  his  father  S 
in  law  all  that  the  Lord  had  done  unto  Pharaoh  and  to 
the  Egyptians  for  Israel's  sake,  all  the  travail  that  had 
come    upon   them    by   the   way,    and    how   the   Lord 
delivered  them.    And  Jethro  rejoiced  for  all  the  goodness  9 
which  the  Lord  had  done  to  Israel,  in  that  he  had 
delivered  them  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Egyptians.     And  10 
Jethro  said.  Blessed  be  the  Lord,  who  hath  delivered 
you  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Egyptians,  and  out  of  the 
hand  of  Pharaoh ;    who  hath  delivered  the  people  from 
under  the  hand  of  the  Egyptians.     Now  I  know  that  the  n 
Lord  is  greater  than  all  gods  :  yea,  in  the  thing  wherein 
they  dealt  proudly  against  them.    [E]  And  Jethro,  Moses'  12 
father  in  law,  took  a  burnt  offering  and  sacrifices  for 


6.  and  he  said  unto  Moses,  I  thy  father-in-law  Jethro  am 
come.  A  slight  alteration  in  the  text  gives,  '  And  Moses  was 
told,  "  Lo,  thy  father-in  law  Jethro  has  come '" '  ;  this  is  supported 
by  the  Septuagint  and  other  authorities,  and  may  be  correct. 

7.  and  they  came.  The  Samaritan  text  and  some  texts  of  the 
Septuagint  read  'and  he  brought  him';  other  Septuagint  texts 
have  'and  he  brought  them.' 

8-11.  The  use  of  Yahweh  in  these  verses  marks  them  out 
from  the  context ;  they  may  be  from  J,  to  which  verse  7  is  often 
ascribed;  but  in  that  case  'Jethro'  in  9,  10  must  be  due  to  an 
editor,  and  the  theology  in  ii  is  hardly  in  the  style  of  J.  It  is 
simpler  to  regard  the  whole  as  an  editorial  expansion. 

11.  they  dealt  proudly  ag"ainst  them.  'They,'  the  gods  of 
Egypt,  identified  with  their  worshippers;  'them,'  the  Israelites. 

12.  The  Gentile  priest  oflers  a  sacrifice,  at  which  Aaron  and, 
presumably,  Moses  are  guests.  Such  a  narrative  implies  an 
attitude  towards  Gentiles  very  di-fferent  from  that  of  the  Priestly 
Code. 


154  KXODUS  18.  J3-21.     E 

God  :    and  Aaron  came,  and  all  the  elders  of  Israel,  to 

13  eat  bread  with  Moses'  father  in  law  before  God.  And  it 
came  to  pass  on  the  morrow,  that  Moses  sat  to  judge  the 
people :    and  the  people  stood  about  Moses  from  the 

14  morning  unto  the  evening.  And  when  Moses'  father  in 
law  saw  all  that  he  did  to  the  people,  he  said,  What  is 
this  thing  that  thou  doest  to  the  people  ?  why  sittest  thou 
thyself  alone,  and  all  the  people  stand  about  thee  from 

15  morning  unto  even?  And  Moses  said  unto  his  father  in 
law.  Because  the  people  come  unto  me  to  inquire  of  God  : 

16  when  they  have  a  matter,  they  come  unto  me;  and 
I  judge  between  a  man  and  his  neighbour,  and  I  make 

17  them  know  the  statutes  of  God,  and  his  laws.  And 
Moses'  father  in  law  said  unto  him.  The  thing  that  thou 

18  doest  is  not  good.  Thou  wilt  surely  wear  away,  both 
thou,  and  this  people  that  is  with  thee :  for  the  thing  is 
too  heavy  for  thee ;  thou  art  not  able  to  perform  it  thyself 

19  alone.  Hearken  now  unto  my  voice,  I  will  give  thee 
counsel,  and  God  be  with  thee  :    be  thou  for  the  people 

20  to  God-ward,  and  bring  thou  the  causes  unto  God  :  and 
thou  shalt  teach  them  the  statutes  and  the  laws,  and  shalt 
shew  them  the  way  wherein  they  must  walk,  and  the 

21  work  that  they  must  do.  Moreover  thou  shalt  provide  out 
of  all  the  people  able  men,  such  as  fear  God,  men  of  truth, 
hating  unjust  gain ;  and  place  such  over  them,  to  be 
rulers  of  thousands,  rulers  of  hundreds,  rulers  of  fifties,  and 


eat  bread  .  .  .  before  God,  partake  of  the  Sacrificial  feast. 
15.  to  inquire  of  Goi.     They  came  to  Moses  as  to  an  oracle. 
21.  unjust  grain,  bribes,  almost  part  of  the  usual  routine  of  an 
Eastern  court. 

rulers  of  thousands,  &c.  A  familiar  organization  is  here 
traced  back  to  Moses.  It  is  sometimes  suggested  that '  thousands,' 
&c.,  stood  for  larger  and  smaller  groups,  not  for  numbers.  They 
would  often,  of  course,  be  only  approximate. 


EXODUS  18.  22—11).  I.     EP  J55 

rulers  of  tens:    and  let  them  judge  the  people  at  all  22 
seasons :    and  it  shall  be,  that  every  great  matter  they 
shall  bring  unto  thee,  but  every  small  matter  they  shall 
judge  themselves :    so  shall  it  be  easier  for  thyself,  and 
they  shall  bear  the  burden  with  thee.     If  thou  shalt  do  2? 
this  thing,  and  God  command  thee  so,  then  thou  shalt  be 
able  to  endure,  and  all  this  people  also  shall  go  to  their 
place  in  peace.     So  Moses  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  his  24 
father  in  law,  and  did  all  that  he  had  said.     And  Moses  25 
chose  able  men  out  of  all  Israel,  and  made  them  heads 
over  the  people,  rulers  of  thousands,  rulers  of  hundreds, 
rulers  of  fifties,  and  rulers  of  tens.     And  they  judged  the  26 
people  at  all  seasons  :  the  hard  causes  they  brought  unto 
Moses,  but  every  small  matter  they  judged  themselves. 
And  Moses  let  his  father  in  law  depart;  and  he  went  his  27 
way  into  his  own  land. 

[P]  In  the  third  month  after  the  children  of  Israel  19 


23.  and  God  command  thee  so,  i.  e.  'and  if  God,  when  He  is 
consulted,  approves  of  the  plan  '  :  so  important  a  step  could  not  be 
taken  without  Di\'ine  guidance. 

xix-xl.     THE  LAWGIVING  AT  SINAI. 

xix.  Prf.parations, 
(A  composite  narrative,  mostly  J  and  E.) 

I,  2rt  (P).     The  Israelites  arrive  at  Sinai, 

26,  3  (E).     Israel  encamps  before  the  Mount. 

Moses' yJrs/  ascent  to  commune  with  God. 

Yahvveh  instructs  him  to  tell  the  people  .  .  . 

4-6  rt  (R).     Yahweh  promises  rewards  for  obedience. 

6b-ga  (E).  Moses  descends,  and  reports  the  words  of  Yahweh 
to  the  people,  who  promise  obedience. 

Moses  reports  the  people's  promise  to  Yahweh.  [?  Second 
Ascent.] 

Yahweh  announces  that  He  will  appear  in  a  thick  cloud,  and 
Moses  is  to  .  .  . 

gb-ioa  (R).  Moses  reports  the  people's  promise  to  Yahweh, 
who  bids  Moses  .  .  , 


156  EXODUS  19.  2.     P 

were  gone  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  the  same  day 
2  came  they  into  the  wilderness  of  Sinai.     And  when  they 

106-11  a  (E).  ...  go  to  the  people  and  prepare  them  to  beliold 
Him  on  the  third  da}'. 

II  6-13  a  {]).  Arrangements  are  to  be  made  that  no  living  thing 
touch  the  mount. 

136  (E).  When  the  trumpet  gives  a  long  blast  the  people  are 
to  come  up  to  the  mount. 

14-17  (E).  The  people  sanctify  themselves  ;  there  is  a  thunder- 
storm ;  the  trumpet  sounds  ;  Moses  brings  the  people  to  meet  God. 

18  (J).     Yahweh  descends  to  Sinai  in  fire  and  earthquake. 

19  (E).  The  trumpet  sounds  louder  and  louder  ;  Moses  speaks, 
and  God  answers  him. 

20-22  (J).  Yahweh  comes  down  to  the  top  of  Sinai,  and  calls 
Moses  up  to  Him  (third  ascent  of  Moses}.  Yahweh  instructs 
Moses  to  forbid  the  people  to  break  through,  and  to  command  the 
priests  to  sanctify  themselves. 

23-24  rt  (R).  Moses  reminds  Yahweh  that  this  has  already 
been  done.     Yahweh  bids  him  go  down. 

246,  25  (J).  Moses  may  come  up,  but  not  the  priests  and  the 
people,  lest  Yahweh  break  forth  upon  them.  Moses  goes  down 
to  the  people  and  says  to  them  .  .  . 

Sources.  Sec.  The  composite  character  of  this  chapter  is  obvious 
from  the  lack  of  coherence,  consistence,  and  smooth  sequence. 
There  are  abrupt  transitions  from  '  Yahweh '  to  '  God '  or  vice 
versa,  3,  19,  20.  In  3^,  &c.  Moses  goes  up  to  the  mountain  to 
speak  to  God  ;  in  36  Yahweh  calls  to  him  from  the  mountain  ;  in 
10,  14  all  the  people  are  sanctified  ;  in  22,  24  only  the  priests,  &c. 
It  may  be  possible  by  the  exercise  of  great  ingenuity  to  construct 
a  consistent  and  consecutive  account  of  the  goings  and  comings 
of  Moses  up  and  down  the  mountain,  and  of  his  reports  from 
Yahweh  to  the  people  and  vice  versa  ;  but  any  one  who  attempts 
this  task  will  soon  feel  that  the  original  tradition  must  have  been 
much  more  simple  and  dignified. 

It  is  extremely  difficult  to  analyse  this  chapter  into  its  original 
sources,  and  the  analysis  in  the  text  is  only  given  as  a  fairly 
probable  approximation  to  the  actual  facts.  Cf.  on  2,  3,  9,  10,  13, 
16,  25. 

1.  the  same  day,  lit.  *  in  that  day.'  As  our  text  stands  the  day 
has  not  been  given.  The  Hebrew  cannot  very  well  mean  'some 
time  in  the  third  month' ;  but  probabl}'  the  day  was  stated  in  the 
original,  and  words  have  been  dropped  out,  possibly  because  they 
conflicted  with  the  later  Jewish  tradition  that  the  Giving  of  the 
Law  took  place  fifty  daj's  after  the  Passover. 

2.  And  when  they  were  departed  from  Bephidim,  and  were 


EXODUS  ly.  3-6.     P  E  J  R  E  157 

were  departed  from   Rephidiiii,  and  were  come  to  the 
wilderness   of  Sinai,    they   pitched   in   the   wilderness ; 
[E]  and  there  Israel  camped  before  the  mount.     And  3 
Moses  went  up  unto  God,  [J]  and  the  Lord  called  unto 
him  out  of  the  mountain,  saying,  Thus  shalt  thou  say  to 
the  house  of  Jacob,   and   tell  the  children  of  Israel ; 
[R]  Ye  have  seen  what  I  did  unto  the  Egyptians,  and  4 
how  I  bare  you  on  eagles'  wings,  and  brought  you  unto 
myself.     Now  therefore,  if  ye  will  obey  my  voice  indeed,  5 
and   keep   my  covenant,   then   ye   shall   be  a   peculiar 
treasure  unto  me  ^  from  among  all  peoples  :    for  all  the 
earth  is  mine :    and  ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  6 
priests,  and  an  holy  nation.     [E]  These  are  the  words 

*Or,  above 

come  to  the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  they  pitched  in  the  wilderness. 

The  sequence  of  the  narrative  would  be  improved  if  these  words 
were  placed  before  verse  i;  the  two  sentences  may  have  been  trans- 
posed in  copying  or  in  the  process  of  compilation.  The  clause  '  and 
they  pitched  in  the  wilderness '  is  omitted  by  the  Septuagint. 

3.  God  .  .  .  IiORD.  The  abrupt  change  of  names  indicates  two 
different  sources  ;  moreover,  in  the  first  clause  Moses  goes  up  to 
God,  and  is  on  the  mountain  with  Him  ;  in  the  second  Yahweh 
calls  from  the  mountain  to  Moses.  Apparently  the  original  account 
of  the  interview  at  this  point  did  not  satisfy  the  later  editor,  and 
he  substituted  a  revised  version  in  3  6-6. 

4.  how  I  bare  you  on  eagles'  wings.     Cf.  Deut.  xxxii.  11. 
brought  you  unto  myself,  i.  e.  to  Sinai  to  the  holy  mount, 

the  sanctuary  and  dwelling  of  Yahweh. 

5.  a  peculiar  treasure.  In  Hebrew  a  single  word,  scguUd, 
commonly  used  of  Israel  as  the  chosen  and  precious  possession  of 
God  ;  in  Deut.  vii.  6,  xiv.  2,  xxvi.  18  in  the  phrase  people  of 
segtiUd  ;  cf.  Titus  ii.  14,  i  Pet.  ii.  9.  In  two  very  late  passages  the 
word  is  used  of  actual  treasures,  i  Chron.  xxix.  3;  'I  have  a 
treasure  of  my  own  of  gold  and  silver,'  Eccles,  ii.  8. 

all  the  earth  is  mine.     The  idea  of  Yahweh  as  Lord  of  all 
things  is  probably  not  older  than  the  late  monarch}'. 

6.  a  kingdom  of  priests.  Cf.  Isa.  Ixi.  5  f.  '  Strangers  shall 
stand  and  feed  your  flocks,  and  aliens  shall  be  your  plowmen 
and  your  vine-dressers.  But  ye  shall  be  named  the  priests  of 
Yahweh.' 


158  EXODUS  19.  7-13-     ERE  J 

7  which  thou  shalt  speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel.  And 
Moses  came  and  called  for  the  elders  of  the  people,  and 
set  before  them  all  these  words  which  the  Lord  com- 

8  manded  him.  And  all  the  people  answered  together, 
and  said,  All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  we  will  do. 
And  Moses  reported  the  words  of  the  people  unto  the 

9  Lord.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Lo,  I  come 
unto  thee  in  a  thick  cloud,  that  the  people  may  hear 
when  I  speak  with  thee,  and  may  also  believe  thee  for 
ever.     [R]  And  Moses  told  the  words  of  the  people  unto 

10  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  [E]  Go  unto 
the  people,  and  sanctify  them  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and 

1 1  let  them  wash  their  garments,  and  be  ready  against  the 
third  day :  for  the  third  day  [J]  the  Lord  will  come 
down  in  the  sight  of  all  the  people  upon  mount  Sinai. 

12  And  thou  shalt  set  bounds  unto  the  people  round  about, 
saying,  Take  heed  to  yourselves,  that  ye  go  not  up  into 
the  mount,  or  touch  the  border  of  it  :   whosoever  touch- 

13  eth  the  mount  shall  be  surely  put  to  death :  no  hand 
shall  touch  a  him,  but  he  shall  surely  be  stoned,  or  shot 

«0r,  it 


an  holy  nation,  i.  e.  a  nation  set  apart  for  the  worship  of 
Yahweh.  The  words  express  the  same  idea  as  the  previous 
phrase. 

9.  Z  come  unto  thee  in  a  thick  cloud.     Cf.  verse  16. 

the  people  xnay  hear,  &c.     Cf.  verse  19. 

may  also  believe  thee  for  ever.  Having  witnessed  the  direct 
intercourse  of  Yahweh  with  Moses,  they  would  ever  afterwards 
beHeve  in  his  Divine  mission.  The  subsequent  course  of  events, 
even  in  this  document,  see  xxxii,  show  that  this  expectation  was 
disappointed. 

9,  10.  And  Moses  told  the  words  of  the  people  unto 
the  LORD.    A  repetition  of  8  b. 

10.  sanctify,  perform  certain  rites — bathing,  washing  of  gar- 
ments, &c. — in  order  to  become  ceremonially  fit  for  the  worship  ; 
cf.  verse  15. 


EXODUS  19.  M-23.     J  E  J  E  J  R  159 

* 
through ;   whether  it  be  beast  or  man,  it  shall  not  live : 
[E]  when  the  ''^trumpet  soundeth  long,  they  shall  come 
up  to  the  mount.     And   Moses  went  down  from   the  14 
mount  unto  the  people,  and  sanctified  the  people ;    and 
they  washed  their  garments.     And   he   said   unto   the  15 
people,  Be  ready  against  the  third  day  :  come  not  near  a 
woman.     And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day,  when  it  16 
was  morning,  that  there  were  thunders  and  lightnings, 
and  a  thick  cloud  upon  the  mount,  and  the  voice  of  a 
trumpet  exceeding  loud ;  and  all  the  people  that  were  in 
the  camp  trembled.    And  Moses  brought  forth  the  people  17 
out  of  the  camp  to  meet  God ;   and  they  stood  at  the 
nether  part  of  the  mount.     [J]  And  mount  Sinai  was  18 
altogether  on  smoke,  because  the  Lord  descended  upon 
it  in  fire  :  and  the  smoke  thereof  ascended  as  the  smoke 
of  a  furnace,   and  the  whole  ^  mount  quaked  greatly. 
[E]  And  when  the  voice  of  the  trumpet  waxed  louder  and  19 
louder,  Moses  spake,  and  God  answered  him  by  a  voice. 
[J]  And  the  Lord  came  down  upon  mount  Sinai,  to  the  20 
top  of  the  mount :    and  the  Lord  called  Moses  to  the 
top  of  the  mount;  and  Moses  v>'ent  up.     And  the  Lord  21 
said  unto  Moses,  Go  down,  charge  the  people,  lest  they 
break  through  unto  the  Lord  to  gaze,  and  many  of  them 
perish.     And  let  the  priests  also,  which  come  near  to  the  22 
Lord,   sanctify  themselves,   lest  the   Lord   break  forth 
upon  them.     [R]And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  The  23 
people  cannot  come  up  to  mount  Sinai :    for  thou  didst 

*  Or,  lams  horn  *•  Some  ancient  authorities  have,  people. 


13.  xam's  horn  (niarg.)>  probably  an  actual  ram's  horn,  to  be 
sounded  as  a  signal  according  to  some  arrangement  to  be  made  by 
Moses  ;  difterent  from  the  trumpet  of  verses  16  and  19. 

16.  the  voice  of  a  trumpet,  a  supernatural  sound  from  the 
Presence  of  Yahweh  in  the  mount. 


i6o  EXODUS  19.  24—20.  I.     R  E 

charge  us,   saying,  Set  bounds  about  the  mount,  and 

24  sanctify  it.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him.  Go,  get  thee 
down;  and  thou  shalt  come  up,  thou,  and  Aaron  with 
thee :  but  let  not  the  priests  and  the  people  break 
through  to  come  up  unto  the  Lord,  lest  he  break  forth 

25  upon  them.  So  Moses  went  down  unto  the  people,  and 
told  them. 

20      [E]  And  God  spake  all  these  words,  saying, 

25.  and  told  them,  rather,  'and  said  unto  them,'  a  phrase  used 
to  introduce  a  report  of  spoken  words.  Here  the  sentence  breaks 
off  abruptly,  without  telling  us  what  was  said.  In  the  process  of 
composition  either  this  has  been  omitted  or  placed  elsewhere. 

XX.  I -1 7.  The  Ten  Commandments. 

(An  ancient  code  with  later  notes  and  additions,  perhaps 
incorporated  in  E.) 
1,  2.  Introduction. 

3.   I.  Against  the  Worship  of  other  Gods. 
4-6.   II.  Against  Images. 

7.  III.  Against  taking  Yahweh's  Name  in  vain, 
8-11.  IV.  The  Sabbath. 

12.  V.  Filial  Duty. 

13.  VI.  Against  Murder. 

14.  VII.  Against  Adultery. 

15.  VIII.  Against  Theft. 

16.  IX.  Against  False  Witness. 

17.  X.  Against  Coveting. 

Sources,  &c.  Another  version  of  the  Ten  Commandments  is 
given  in  Deut.  v.  6-21.  The  two  versions  agree  in  substance,  but 
differ  considerably  in  wording  and  in  the  comments  on  the  actual 
injunctions.  The  Septuagint  of  the  two  passages  in  each  case 
differs  similarly  from  the  text  it  is  supposed  to  translate. 
Another  Hebrew  text  of  the  Ten  Commandments  has  been 
recently  discovered  in  a  pap3'^rus  probably  written  in  the  second 
century  a.  d.,  and  therefore  much  older  than  the  earliest  Hebrew 
manuscripts  liitherto  known.  This  text,  the  Papyrus  Nash,  differs 
from  all  those  mentioned  above.  It  is  apparently  another  edition 
of  the  Exodus-version  ;  but  sometimes  it  follows  Deuteronomy 
when  the  latter  differs  from  Exodus,  and  sometimes  it  presents 
the  peculiarities  of  one  or  other  of  the  Septuagint  texts.  The 
other  versions,  Latin.    Syriac,  &c..  and  the  Samaritan   Hebrew 


EXODUS  20.  2.     E  i6i 

I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  brought  thee  out  of  2 
the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  ^  bondage. 

"■Heb.  bondmen. 

text  divide  their  support  between  the  five  texts  mentioned  above, 
and  have  other  peculiarities  of  their  own.  Again,  the  form  of  the 
Commandments  given  in  the  quotations  in  the  N.T.  is  not  in 
absolute  agreement  with  any  of  the  above,  e.g.  Mark  x.  19. 
Thus  both  Jews  and  Christians  handled  the  wording  of  this 
section  with  great  freedom.     Cf.  the  notes  on  verses  8-ii,  12,  17. 

A  different  set  of  Ten  Commandments  is  given  in  xxxiv.  10-28^ 
(which  see),  J's  account  of  what  was  written  on  the  two  tables 
of  stone. 

The  order  of  the  Commandments  differs  in  the  various  texts, 
e.  g.  we  have  *  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder.  Thou  shalt  not  commit 
adultery.  Thou  shalt  not  steal '  in  the  Hebrew  Text  of  Exodus 
and  Deuteronomy  ;  but  '  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery.  Thou 
shalt  not  steal.  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder '  is  read  by  the  Vatican 
MS.  of  the  Septuagint  in  Exodus;  while  *  Adultery,  Murder, 
Theft '  is  the  order  in  Philo  \  the  Papyrus  Nash,  and  Rom.  xiii.  9. 

The  number  '  ten '  is  given  by  the  use  of  the  phrase,  '  The  Ten 
Words,'  E.V.  'Commandments,'  in  reference  to  this  section  in 
Deut.  X.  4,  and  in  reference  to  J's  'Words'^  in  xxxiv.  28.  But 
the  phrase  is  not  used  in  chap,  xx,  or  in  Deut.  v,  or  anywhere  else  in 
the  Bible  ;  and  we  cannot  be  sure  that  the  original  author 
intended  the  number  to  be  'ten.'  As  the  basis  of  the  decimal 
notation  commonly  in  use,  'ten'  is  a  familiar  round  number;  but 
no  special  sanctity  attaches  to  it  in  the  O.T.  Including 
'Remember,'  'Honour,'  and  various  'Thou  shalt's'  and  'Thou 
shalt  not's,' '  there  are  fourteen  verbs  each  with  a  clause  of  its 
own  *,  setting  forth  an  injunction. 

Opinions  differ  as  to  how  the  material  of  this  section  is  to  be 
divided  in  order  to  give  just  ten  commandments.  The  arrangement 
in  the  summary  above  is  familiar  to  us  ;  it  is  that  of  the  English 
Prayer  Book,  the  Greek  Church,  and  the  Reformed  Church.  The 
Roman  Church  and  the  Lutherans  make  a  single  commandment 
of  our  I  and  \\,  the  injunction  to  worship  Yahweh  only  and  the 
prohibition  of  images  ;  and  resolve  our  X  into  two  ;  thus  IX, 
'Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbours  wife  (so  Roman  Ch.  with 
Deuteronomy,  but  Lutherans  "house"  with  Exodus)  ;  X,  Thou 
shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  house  (Roman  Ch.  but  Lutherans 

^   Kittel,  Biblia  Hebraica.  ^  But  see  on  xxxiv.  28. 

^  'Thou  shalt  labour'  is  expressed  by  a  single  word  in  Hebrew, 
and  so  with  the  similar  clauses. 

*  In  verse  9  there  are  two  verbs  to  the  clause,  we  only  count  one 
of  them. 

M 


i62  EXODUS  20.  3.     E 

Thou  shalt  have  none  other  gods  ^  before  me. 

^  Or,  beside  tiie 

''wife"),  &c.'  While  the  Jews  make  our  Introduction  into  their 
First  Commandment,  and  combine  our  I  and  II  into  their  Second 
Commandment. 

The  subsequent  inscription  upon  two  tables  indicates  a  division 
into  two  groups;  these  are  variously  reckoned  as  I — IV  religious 
d-uties,  and  V — X  moral  duties  ;  or  I— V  religious,  and  VI — X 
moral.  The  latter  classification  is  defended  on  the  ground  that 
respect  for  parents  was  a  matter  of  religion  in  ancient  times,  and 
the  commandment  has  even  been  regarded,  somewhat  unneces- 
saril}',  as  a  relic  of  ancestor  worship. 

The  oiiginal  form  of  the  Decalogue  was  probably  not  that  in 
which  we  now  have  it.  The  comments  show  the  influence  of 
Deuteronomy  and  the  Priestly  Code,  and  were  later  additions  to 
the  ancient  Ten  Words,  which,  according  to  the  analysis  indicated 
by  the  initials  in  our  text,  were  as  follows  : — 

I.  Thou  shalt  have  none  other  gods  beside  me. 
'''■^11.  Thou  shalt  not  make  urito  thee  a  graven  iniage. 

III.  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  Yahweh  thy  God  in  vain, 

IV.  Remember  the  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy. 
V.  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother. 

VI.  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder. 
VII.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 

VIII.  Thou  shalt  not  steal. 
IX.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbour. 
X.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  house. 

The  origin  of  the  Decalogue  is  doubtful ;  it  was  not  composed 
by  the  author  of  either  J  or  E.  The  original  version  is  often 
supposed  to  have  been  an  ancient  code,  either  appropriated 
independently  by  E  and  Deut.  ;  or  first  used  by  E  and  then 
borrowed  from  E  by  Deut.  ;  or,  again,  it  may  owe  its  present 
position  to  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Pentateuch,  probably  the 
editor  who  combined  J  and  E. 

Many  modern  scholars  are  inclined  to  regard  the  original 
Decalogue  as  the  work  of  Moses.  It  is  regarded  as  simple  and 
primitive,  and  the  great  importance  attached  to  it  both  here  and  in 
Deuteronomy  is  supposed  to  point  to  its  antiquity.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  maintained  that  the  pre-exilic  literature  does  not  lay  any 
special  stress  on  the  Sabbath,  and  that  images  of  Yahweh  do  not 
seem  to  have  been  regarded  as  illegitimate  before  the  time  of 
Amos  and  Hosea.  Hence  the  composition  of  the  code  has  also 
been  assigned  to  the  eighth  or  seventh  century  B.C. 

3.  before  me,  better  as  R.  V.  marg.,  'beside  me,'  lit.  *  to  my 
face,'  '  in  my  presence.' 


EXODUS  20.  4-r.     E  D  E  163 

Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  a  graven  image,  [D]  nor  4 
tJu  likeness  o/any  form  that  is  in  heaven  above^  or  that 
is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the 
earth :    thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  unto  them,  nor  f. 
serve  them  :   for  I  the  Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God, 
visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children, 
upon    the    third   and    upon    the   fourth    generation   of 
them  that  hate  me ;    and  shewing  mercy  unto   ^  thou-  6 
sands,  of  them  that  love  me  and  keep  my  command- 
ments, 

[E]  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  7 
^^  in  vain  ;    for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that 
taketh  his  name  ^*  in  vain. 

*0r,  a  tJtOHsand  generations     See  Deut.  vii,  9. 
^  Or,  for  vanity  or  falsehood 

4.  a  graven  imag'e,  pesel,  properly  an  image  hewn  from  wood 
or  stone,  as  distinguished  from  a  massekd  or  '  molten  image'  ;  but 
here  the  addition  '  nor  the  likeness  o/any  form,'  &c.,  shows  that 
it  is  used  of  idols  in  general.  The  prohibition  extends,  of  course, 
to  images  of  Yahweh.  The  verse  has  often  been  understood  to 
forbid  the  making  of  any  kind  of  sculpture  ;  but  it  should  pro- 
bably be  combined  with  verse  5,  so  as  to  mean  *  Thou  shalt  not 
make  images  for  the  purpose  of  worshipping  them.' 

in  heaven  above  may  include  birds,  and  idols  representing 
the  heavenly  bodies  as  deities. 

the  water  under  the  earth.  According  to  the  Semitic 
cosmogony  the  earth  rested  on  an  abyss  of  water,  peopled  bj' 
primaeval  monsters. 

5.  a  jealous  God.  'Jealous,'  qannd\  is  only  used  of  God, 
though  cognate  words,  '  jealousy,'  '  to  be  jealous,*  are  also  used 
of  men.  The  emphasis  is  not  so  much  on  the  mere  feeling  of 
discontent  as  in  our  'jealous.'  The  Hebrew  root  is  also  used 
for  'zeal'  and  'fury,'  the  just  indignation  of  an  injured  man. 

visitingf  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  a 
familiar  article  of  the  older  Israelite  faith,  repudiated  by  Ezekiel 
xviii,  &c.,  but  nevertheless  holding  its  ground  in  popular  theology, 
John  ix.  2. 

6.  unto  thousands.  We  must  understand  as  in  R.  V.  marg.,  'a 
thousand  generations.' 

7.  in  vain,    for   an   unworthy   purpose.     The   phrase   would 

M    2 


i64  EXODUS  20.  8-12.     E  S  E 

S,  9      Remember  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy.     Six  days 

10  shalt  thou  labour,  and  do  all  thy  work  :  but  the  seventh 
day  is  a  sabbath  unto  the  Lord  thy  God  :  in  it  thou 
shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy 
daughter,  thy  manservant,  nor  thy  maidservant,  nor  thy 

11  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates  :  [S]  for 
in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea, 
and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day; 
wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  sabbath  day,  and 
hallowed  it. 

'  2      [E]  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother  :  that  thy  days 

apply  to  swearing  falsely  by  the  name  of  Yahweh,  making  vows 
in  His  name  and  not  fulfilling  them,  and  perhaps  also  to  any  light 
or  blasphemous  use  of  the  name  ;  cf.  marg. 

will  not  hold  him  g-uiltless,  i.  e.  will  punish  him. 

8-1 1.  The  wording  of  this  commandment  in  Deuteronomy 
differs  in  many  respects  from  that  given  here.  After  the  com- 
mand to  hallow  the  Sabbath,  there  is  added,  'As  Yahweh  thy 
God  hath  commanded  thee.'  Instead  of  'nor  thy  cattle,'  Deuier- 
oHomy  reads  '  nor  thine  ox,  nor  thine  ass,  nor  any  of  thy  cattle.' 
Instead  of  the  reference  to  the  Week  of  Creation,  Deuteronomy 
has  '  that  thy  slave  and  slave-girl  may  rest  as  well  as  thou  ' ;  Israel 
had  been  slaves  in  Egypt,  and  had  been  delivered,  therefore 
Yahweh  had  ordained  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath. 

8.  the  Sabbath  day.  The  Hebrew  *  Sabbath '  is  from  a  root 
S/t  B  Th,  denoting  '  rest '  ;  an  observance  of  seventh  days  is 
found  in  Babylonia,  but  its  relation  to  the  Israelite  Sabbath  is 
uncertain  ;  cf.  further  on  Gen.  ii.  1-3.  The  term  '  Sabbath '  is 
also  applied  to  the  Day  of  Atonement  and  the  Seventh  Year. 

to  keep  it  holy,  i.  e,  a  day  specially  devoted  to  Yahweh  by 
abstinence  from  ordinary  occupations.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  the  service  of  Yahweh  was  associated  with  cheerful  social 
intercourse  ;  the  ordinary  sacrifice  was  connected  with  a  kind  of 
dinner  party,  and  the  great  sacred  seasons  were  mostly  festivals. 

10.  manservant  .  .  .  maidservant,  male  and  female  slaves, 
stranger.     See  on  xii.  19. 

11.  Cf.  Gen.  ii.  1-3.  Here,  however,  Elohim  has  been  re- 
placed by  Yahweh,  to  harmonize  with  verses  2,  5,  and  7. 

12.  'The  first  commandment  with  promise,'  Eph.  vi.  2.  Here, 
again,  Deuteronomy  inserts  '  as  Yahweh  thy  God  hath  commanded 
thee,'  and  expands  the  second  half  of  our  verse. 


EXODUS  20.  13-17.     E  165 

may  be  long  upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 

giveth  thee. 

Thou  shalt  do  no  murder.  13 

Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery.  14 

Thou  shalt  not  steal.  15 

Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbour.  16 
Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  house^  thou  shalt  17 

Hononr,  kabbed,  render  obedience,  service,  and  respect.  In 
Num.  xxii.  17  Balak  offers  'honouring  to  honour'  Balaam,  who 
understands  the  offer  to  include  gifts  of  gold  and  silver.  Ancient 
nations  laid  great  stress  on  filial  duty  and  the  authority  of 
parents. 

13.  Thou  Shalt  do  no  murder,  i.  e.  slay  unlawfully  or  un- 
justifiably. This  is  clearly  the  meaning.  It  is  true  that  the 
Hebrew  rendered  *do  ...  murder,'  RCH,  is  also  used  in  the 
general  sense  of  *'  slay  a  man  ' ;  but  O.  T.  expressly  sanctions  war 
and  capital  punishment. 

14.  commit  adultery,  sin  with  another  man's  wife.  The 
prohibition  would  not  interfere  with  polygamy  or  license  as  to 
concubines. 

16.  bear  false  witness,  i.  e.  in  a  court  of  law.  Such  false 
witness  has  always  been  common  in  the  East. 

17.  The  corresponding  verses,  Deut.  v.  20  f.,  have  a  different 
list  in  a  different  order,  with  other  changes  in  the  wording ;  thus, 
'Thou  shalt  not  covet  (H M Dh)  thy  neighbour's  wife  ;  nor  shalt 
thou  desire  '{WH^)  thy  neighbour's  house,  his  field,  or  his  slave, 
or  his  slave-girl  ;  his  ox,  or  his  ass,  or  anything  that  is  thy  neigh- 
bour's.' The  Septuagint  agrees  with  the  Hebrew  Deuteronomy 
both  in  Exodus  and  Deuteronomy,  except  that  after  *  ass'  it  adds 
in  both  places  '  nor  any  of  his  cattle.' 

covet.  This  commandment  differs  from  the  rest  in  dealing 
not  with  overt  acts,  but  with  inner  feelings,  with  the  self-seeking 
inordinate  desire  which  is  the  source  of  wrongful  acts.  Its  pre- 
sence in  the  Decalogue  indicates  a  high  standard  of  morals.  On 
account  of  these  two  features,  the  difference  from  the  other  com- 
mandments, and  the  high  level  of  ethics,  it  has  been  suggested 
that  this  verse  did  not  belong  to  the  original  Decalogue,  and  that 
it  may  have  replaced  a  prohibition  of  usury.  The  suggestion  is 
probably  wrong  ;  but  '  coveting '  may  emphasize  not  so  much  the 
feelings  as  the  practical  steps  which  might  be  taken  to  give  effect 

*  Hithpael  Voice. 


i66  EXODUS  20.  18-20.     E 

not  covet  thy  neighbours  wife,  nor  his  manservant,  nor 
his  maidservant,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  any  thing 
that  is  thy  neighbour's. 

18  And  all  the  people  saw  the  thunderings,  and  the 
lightnings,  and  the  voice  of  the  trumpet,  and  the 
mountain  smoking:    and  when  the  people  saw  it,  they 

19  "■trembled,  and  stood  afar  off.  And  they  said  unto 
Moses,  Speak  thou  with  us,  and  we  will  hear:    but  let 

20  not  God  speak  with  us,  lest  we  die.     And  Moses  said 

*  Or,  were  moved 


to  them.     This  commandment  would  thus  defeat  the  ingenuity  of 
immoral  casuistry,  which  might  evade  the  previous  prohibitions. 

house.  Probably  the  original  commandment  ended  here  (cf. 
Sources,  &c.),  and  ^  house,'  as  often  in  the  O.  T.,  meant  '  house- 
hold,' in  fact  all  that  is  enumerated  in  the  rest  of  the  verse,  w^ife, 
slaves,  beasts,  &c.  The  transposition  of  '  house  '  and  *  wife '  in 
Deuteronomy  indicates  that  '  house '  was  understood  of  the 
building  only ;  this  mistake  may  have  caused  the  alteration. 

XX.  18-21.     Effect  of  the  Theophany  on  the  People  (E). 

18,  19.  The  people,  terrified,  ask  that  God  may  not  speak  to 
them  directly,  but  through  Moses. 

20.  Moses  reassures  them. 

21.  The  people  stand  afar  off,  but  Moses  goes  up  to  God. 
Sources,  &c.     In  the  Elohistic  Document  xx.   18  was  probably 

the  immediate  continuation  of  xix.  18  ;  cf.  on  verse  19. 

18.  saw  the  thundering-s  .  .  .  and  the  voice  .  .  .,  a  fairly 
familiar  construction  by  which  a  verb  is  used  with  two  or  more 
objects,  some  of  which  should  strictly  be  governed  by  another 
verb. 

and  when  the  people  saw  it.  The  Septuagint  and  some 
other  authorities  read,  'And  the  people  were  frightened.' 

tremhled,  and  stood  afar  off,  i.e.  remained  standing  at  a 
distance.  If  we  follow  R. V.  marg.,  'were  moved,  &c.,  we 
might  render  'withdrew  to  a  distance.'  The  Septuagint  omits 
'  trembled.' 

19.  let  not  God  speak  with  us.  These  words  imply  that 
so  far  God  had  not  spoken,  and  indicate  that  the  Ten  Command- 
ments were  not  included  in  the  document  to  which  th«s  verse 
belonged. 


EXODUS  20.  21,  32.     E  167 

unto  the  people,  Fear  not :    for  God  is  come  to  prove 
you,  and  that  his  fear  may  be  before  you,  that  ye  sin  not. 
And  the  people  stood  afar  off,  and  Moses  drew  near  unto  2 1 
the  thick  darkness  where  God  was. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Thus  thou  shalt  say  22 

20.  to  prove  you.  The  awful  accompaniments  of  the  mani- 
festation of  God  were  not  the  prelude  to  a  stern  judgement,  but 
God  was  making  Himself  known  to  Israel,  in  order  to  discover 
whether  they  would  be  loyal  to  Him. 

XX.  22— xxiii.  33.     THE  BOOK  OF  THE  COVENANT. 

This  title  is  derived  from  xxiv.  7,  which,  when  it  was  written, 
probably  referred  to  a  part  of  this  section.  This  section  is  also 
described  in  xxiv.  3  as  'judgements'  and  'words,'  and  in  xxiv.  4 
it  is  said  that  the  '  words  of  Yahweh  '  were  committed  to  writing 
by  Moses. 

xxi.  I,  '  Now  these  are  the  judgements  which  thou  shalt  set 
before  them,'  is  the  heading  of  an  ancient  collection  of  'judge- 
ments,' including  xxi.  2— xxii.  17,  and  perhaps  also  xxii.  256"., 
xxiii.  4f.  Then  the  'words  of  Yahweh'  will  consist  of  xx.  22-26, 
xxii.  18-24,  28-31,  xxiii.  1-3,  6-19.  But  'Judgements'  and 
'  Words '  have  been  somewhat  annotated,  and  xxiii.  20-33  has  been 
added  as  a  concluding  exhortation. 

Both  the  '  Judgements '  and  the  '  Words '  are  amongst  the 
oldest  extant  remains  of  Israelite  literature,  older  than  either  the 
Jehovistic  or  the  Elohistic  document.  They  represent  the  main 
interests  of  the  people  as  agricultural ;  they  are  designed  for 
farmers,  men  who  cultivate  their  own  corn-land,  vineyards,  and 
olive-orchards  under  comparatively  settled  conditions.  They  are, 
therefore,  later  by  some  time  than  the  Israelite  conquest  of 
Palestine,  and  earher  than  the  development  of  more  complex 
social  conditions  under  the  later  Monarchy.  They  have  been 
dated  as  early  as  the  eleventh  century  b.  c,  immediately  before 
the  reign  of  Saul,  or  in  the  reign  of  Solomon,  or  somewhat 
later.  Many  of  the  laws  themselves  are  much  older  than  these 
codes. 

Most  of  the  '  Words '  also  occur  in  xxxiv.  14-26. 

The  history  of  the  compilation  of  this  section  is  probably  some- 
what as  follows  : — 

The  'Words'  were  inserted  here  by  the  Elohistic  writer,  and 
also  in  a  somewhat  similar  place  in  the  Jehovistic  Document. 
The  'Judgements'  were  originally  inserted  by  the  Elohistic 
Writer  either  as  an  address  of  Moses  at  the  close  of  his  life,  when 


i68  EXODUS  20.  23,  24.     ERE 

unto  the  children  of  Israel,  [R]  Ye  yourselves  have  seen 

33  that  I  have  talked  with  you  from  heaven.     Ye  shall  not 
make  other  gods  with  me  ;  gods  of  silver^  or  gods  of  gold, 

34  ye  shall  not  make  unto  you.     [E]  An  altar  of  earth  thou 

Israel  was  encamped  in  the  Plains  of  Moab,  or  in  connexion  with 
the  farewell  address  of  Joshua  (Joshua  xxiv)  at  Shechem.  When 
the  Deuteronomic  legislation  was  added  to  the  Twofold  Docu- 
ment, J  E,  it  took  the  place  of  the  'Judgements,'  which  were 
transferred  to  the  sojourn  at  Sinai  and  combined  with  the 
*  Words,'  notes  being  added  to  both. 

The  concluding  exhortation  includes  elements  from  various 
sources,  and  has  been  built  up  gradually.  As  it  makes  no 
reference  to  the  two  Codes,  its  original  substance  may  have  been 
rather  a  part  of  a  farewell  address  of  Moses  than  an  epilogue  to 
the  *  Judgements.' 

It  has  also  been  suggested  that  originally  the  '  Words '  only 
stood  in  xxxiv,  and  were  introduced  here  later. 

Various  features  in  the  wording  of  'Judgements'  are  com- 
monly held  to  show  that  they  were  inserted  by  the  Elohistic 
Writer  in  his  work. 

A  remarkable  feature  of  these  '  Judgements '  is  that  they 
present  many  close  parallels  to  the  Code  Hammurabi  ;  see  notes 
on  xxi.  2,  15  ff.,  22,  26-32,  xxii.  6-12.     Cf.  Introduction,  pp.  13  f. 

XX.  22-26.    Public  Worship. 
32  a.  Introduction. 
226,  23  (R).    No  idols  of  silver  or  gold  must  be  made. 

24.  An  altar  of  earth  for  sacrifices  may  be  erected  wherever 
God  has  manifested  Himself. 

25.  Stone  altars  must  only  be  built  of  unhewn  stones. 

26.  There  must  be  no  steps  up  to  altars. 

23.  Ye  shall  not  make  other  gods  with  me.  As  the  English 
version  indicates  by  placing  'other  gods'  in  italics,  the  sentence 
is  incomplete  ;  the  verb  *  make '  has  no  object.  Some  word  or 
words  have  dropped  out  of  the  text,  but  we  have  no  means  of 
determining  with  certainty  what  they  were,  although  it  is  pro- 
bable that  our  version  gives  substantially  the  right  meaning. 

gods  of  silver  and  gods  of  gold.  The  later  editors  of  the 
Pentateuch  would  understand  this  as  a  general  prohibition  of 
images  of  all  kinds,  whether  of  Yahweh  or  other  gods ;  but 
originally  only  gold  and  silver  images  may  have  been  forbidden, 
as  too  luxurious  innovations  in  contrast  to  the  more  simple, 
primitive  images  of  wood  or  stone. 

24  flf.  These  verses,  which  contemplate  a  multiplicity  of  altars 


EXODUS  20.  25,  zCy.     E  169 

shalt  make  unto  me,  and  shalt  sacrifice  thereon  thy 
burnt  offerings,  and  thy  peace  offerings,  thy  sheep,  and 
thine  oxen  :  in  every  place  where  I  *  record  my  name 
I  will  come  unto  thee  and  I  will  bless  thee.  And  if  thou  25 
make  me  an  altar  of  stone,  thou  shalt  not  build  it  of 
hewn  stones :  for  if  thou  Hft  up  thy  tool  upon  it,  thou 
hast  polluted  it.  Neither  shalt  thou  go  up  by  steps  26 
*  Or,  cause  my  name  to  be  remembered 


of  earth  or  unhewn  stones,  without  steps,  indicate  a  system  of 
worship  much  simpler,  less  elaborate,  and  less  rigid  than  that  of 
the  Priestly  Code  with  its  single  elaborate  brazen  altar. 

24.  An  altar  of  earth.  It  was  perhaps  to  erect  such  an  altar 
that  Naaman  required  his  two  mules'  burden  of  earth,  2  Kings 
V.  17. 

burnt  offeringrs  :  see  x.  25. 

peace  offerings.  The  shelem  or  peace-offering  is  mentioned 
here  for  the  first  time.  It  was  the  ordinary  sacrifice,  often 
denoted  by  the  general  term  'sacrifice,'  zebah  ;  see  on  x.  25.  The 
E.  V.  rendering  'peace-offering'  suggests  a  connexion  with 
shdlom  in  the  sense  of  '  peace,'  perhaps  a  sacrifice  celebrating  or 
promoting  peace  or  good-will  between  man  and  God,  or  amongst 
men.  Shelem,  however,  may  connect  with  the  use  of  the  root 
Sh  LM  in  the  sense  of  '  repay,'  hence  '  a  thank-ofiering.' 

sheep  .  .  .  oxen.  The  list  is  not  necessarily  complete ; 
goats  and  birds  were  also  sacrificed. 

in  every  place,  contemplating  a  number  of  sanctuaries  where 
God  was  worshipped  and  sacrifices  were  offered. 

record  my  name,  better  as  R.  V.  marg.,  '  cause  my  name  to 
be  remembered,'  i.  e.  by  sacrifice  and  other  ritual. 

where  Z  record.  The  Syriac  Version  reads,  'where  thou 
causest  to  be  remembered,'  a  reading  preferred  by  some  scholars. 
The  meaning  would  then  be  that  God  would  respond  to  the 
worship  of  Israel  wherever  it  was  offered.  If  we  adhere  to  the 
reading  'where  I  cause  to  be  remembered,'  the  reference  will  be 
to  sacred  places  like  Bethel,  where  God  manifested  Himself  to 
the  Patriarchs  and  others. 

25.  thou  hast  polluted  it.  An  altar  of  unhewn  stones  was 
erected  by  Elijah  on  Carmel,  i  Kings  xviii.  31  f.  ;  compare  also 
the  heap  of  stones  piled  up  by  Jacob  and  Laban  at  Mizpah,  Gen. 
xxxi.  46.  A  special  sanctity  attached  to  '  monoliths '  or  large 
stones  in  their  natural  state  ;  hence  the  use  of  such  stones  as 
macfeboth  or  sacred  pillars  ;  see  on  xxiv.  4.     In  Gen.  xxviii.  22 


lyo  EXODUS  21.  i,  2.     E 

unto  mine  altar,  that  thy  nakedness  be  not  discovered 
thereon. 
21      Now  these  are  the  judgements  which  thou  shalt  set 
before  them. 
2      If  thou  buy  an  Hebrew  ^servant,  six  years  he  shall 

*  Or,  bondman 

Jacob  says  of  the  stone  that  had  served  for  his  pillow  that  it 
should  be  '  God's  house.'  Such  a  stone  was  '  polluted,'  i.  e,  lost 
its  sanctity  by  being  hewn,  and  thus  assimilated  to  ordinary 
stones  hewn  from  a  quarry.  The  explanation  is  sometimes  given 
that  the  idea  of  the  loss  of  sanctity  through  hewing  arose  at  a 
time  when  the  deity  was  supposed  to  dwell  in  the  stone,  and  to 
be  driven  out  by  the  blows  of  a  tool.  Compare  also  the  prohibi- 
tion oi graven  images  in  verse  4.  Solomon  built  his  temple  with 
stones  brought  ready  hewn  from  the  quarry,  a  kind  of  compromise, 
I  Kings  vi.  7. 

26.  This  verse  implies  that  the  worshipper  wore  some  slight 
and  simple  form  of  ritual  vestment. 

Solomon's  altars  did  not  conform  to  the  regulations  of  this 
paragraph  ;  they  were  of  gold  and  of  brass,  i  Kings  vii.  48,  viii. 
64.  Our  paragraph  may  be  based  on  customs  more  ancient  than 
Solomon,  and  may  come  from  a  school  in  the  Northern  Kingdom 
which  regarded  Solomon's  institutions  as  heretical  innovations. 
In  Isa.  Ixv.  3  an  altar  of  brick  is  spoken  of  as  if  it  were  objection- 
able.    Cf.  on  xxvii.  i  ff. 

xxi.  i-ii.     On  Hebrew  Slaves. 

I.  Introduction. 

2-6.  A  purchased  Hebrew  slave  is  to  be  set  free  after  serving  six 
years.  If  he  was  married  when  purchased  his  wife  goes  with 
him  ;  but  if  his  owner  has  given  him  a  wife  and  there  are  children, 
the  owner  retains  the  wife  and  children.  If  the  slave  prefers  to 
remain  in  slavery  rather  than  leave  his  family,  he  may  become  a 
permanent  slave  through  a  religious  ceremony. 

7-1 1.  The  above  law  does  not  apply  to  a  daughter  whom  her 
father  has  sold  as  a  slave.  Her  owner  must  either  marry  her 
himself,  or  give  her  in  marriage  to  his  son,  with  all  the  rights 
of  a  wife  ;  or  he  must  let  her  be  bought  back  again.  He  may 
not  sell  her  to  a  foreigner.  If  she  is  stinted  of  her  due,  she  be- 
comes free  without  payment. 

1.  judg'enients :  apparently  here  laws  on  civil  questions,  as 
distinguished  from  the  previous  ritual  regulations  ;  but  cf.  xxiii. 
14  ff. 

2-11.  There  are  ten  clauses  introduced  by  '  if  or  'and  if.' 

2.  Hebrew.    Usually  the  name  used  for  Israelites  by  foreigners 


EXODUS  21.  3-6.     E  lyi 

serve :    and   in    the  seventh    he   shall   go  out  free  for 
nothing.     If  he  come  in  by  himself,  he  shall  go  out  by  3 
himself:  if  he  be  married,  then  his  wife  shall  go  out  with 
him.     If  his  master  give  him  a  wife,  and  she  bear  him  4 
sons  or  daughters ;   the  wife  and  her  children  shall  be 
her  master's,  and  he  shall  go  out  by  himself     But  if  the  5 
servant  shall  plainly  say,  I  love  my  master,  my  wife,  and 
my  children ;    I  will  not  go  out  free :    then  his  master  6 
shall  bring  him  unto  ^  God,  and  shall  bring  him  to  the 

*  Or,  the  judges 


or  by  any  one  speaking  or  writing  from  the  point  of  view  of  a 
foreigner,  e.  g.  i.  15.  Here,  perhaps,  of  an  Israehte  as  dis- 
tinguished from  a  foreigner.  The  explanation  that  'Hebrew' 
here  refers  to  members  of  cognate  tribes,  not  actually  Israelite, 
is  less  likely. 

servant,  R.  V.  marg.  bondman,  rather  '  slave.'  An  Israelite 
might  be  sold  for  a  slave  by  his  father,  verse  7  ;  or  become  a  slave 
to  a  creditor  to  whom  he  owed  a  debt  which  he  could  not  pay, 
2  Kings  iv.  i  ;  or  might  forfeit  his  liberty  by  committing  a  crime, 
Exod.  xxii.  3. 

in  the  seventh  he  shall  g^o  out  free.  Deut.  xv.  12-18  repeats 
this  law,  extending  it  to  female  slaves,  and  enjoining  the  owner 
to  make  a  liberal  present  to  the  emancipated  slave.  The  pro- 
visions about  the  wife  and  children  are  omitted.  Lev.  xxv.  39-41 
lays  down  that  Israelites  are  not  to  be  treated  as  slaves,  though 
they  may  be  subjected  to  some  milder  form  of  bondage,  to  be 
terminated  by  the  Jubilee. 

The  corresponding  law,  117,  in  the  Code  of  Hammurabi,  see 
p.  13,  lays  down  that  when  a  man's  wife,  son,  or  daughter 
become  slaves  through  his  inability  to  pay  his  debts,  they  shall 
only  serve  for  three  years. 

In  Jer.  xxxiv  we  have  an  account  of  an  attempt  to  act  on  the 
lines  of  these  laws,  which  suggests  that,  in  Israel  at  any  rate, 
they  were  for  the  most  part  a  dead  letter. 

3.  if  he  be  married.  The  passage  conveys  the  impression 
that  the  purchaser  of  the  husband  would  at  the  same  time  acquire 
the  wife,  but  this  is  not  expressly  stated. 

4.  If  his  master  gfive  him  a  wife.  The  context  implies  that 
this  wife  would  be  a  slave  owned  by  the  master. 

6.  unto  God,  R.  V.  marg.  judges;  so  the  Syriac  and  the 
Targum  ;  similarly  the  Septuagint  '  to  the  judgement-seat  of  God,' 


172  EXODUS  21.  7,8.     E 

door,  or  unto  the  door  post ;  and  his  master  shall  bore 
his  ear  through  with  an  awl ;  and  he  shall  serve  him 
for  ever. 

7  And  if  a  man  sell  his  daughter  to  be  a  '^  maidservant, 

8  she  shall  not  go  out  as  the  menservants  do.     If  she 
please   not   her   master,    ^who    hath   espoused    her  to 

*0r,  bondwoman 

^  Another  reading  is,  so  that  he  hath  not  espoused  her. 


i.  e.  to  some  sanctuary  where  the  priests  acted  as  judges,  as  was 
often  the  case  in  ancient  times.  Elsewhere  '  unto  God  '  usually 
means  '  to  a  sanctuary.'  But  the  rest  of  the  verse  implies  that 
the  door  referred  to  was  that  of  the  master's  house,  so  that  the 
sanctuary  here  would  be  the  doorpost  or  its  neighbourhood.  In 
ancient  times  a  special  sanctity  attached  to  the  door  and  its  ap- 
purtenances, the  threshold,  doorpost,  &c.  The  household  images 
were  about  it  or  near  it ;  or  the  household  gods  were  thought  of 
as  dwelling  there.  Hence  the  formula  and  the  custom  are  sur- 
vivals of  a  time  when  these  ideas  still  prevailed,  and  when  the 
original  words  'unto  E/oht'm ' meant  *  unto  the  household  deities.' 
This  meaning  had  been  forgotten  before  the  Pentateuch  was 
compiled,  but  was  still  known  to  the  author  oi  Deuteronomy^  who 
therefore  omits  the  words  'unto  God,'  xv.  17. 

shall  Ijore  his  ear  through  with  an  awl.  Deut.  xv.  17  directs 
that  the  awl  shall  be  thrust  through  the  ear  into  the  door,  which 
suggests  that  the  idea  of  the  ceremony  was  the  permanent  attach- 
ment of  the  slave  to  his  owner's  household.  The  piercing  of  the 
ears  of  slaves  was  a  common  practice  in  antiquit}',  possibly  to 
symbolize  the  duty  of  obedience,  as  the  ear  was  the  organ  of 
hearing. 

7.  maidservant  .  .  .  menservants.  Male  and  female  slaves  ; 
cf.  verse  2. 

she  shall  not  go  out.  The  succeeding  verses  show  that  it  is 
assumed  that  a  female  slave  will  become  wife  or  concubine  to  her 
owner  or  to  his  son,  and  therefore  a  permanent  member  of  the 
family.  The  altered  provision  in  Deuteronomy  (see  verse  2)  cor- 
responds to  the  more  advanced  social  conditions  of  the  close  of 
the  Monarchy,  and  implies  large  households  with  numerous 
female  slaves,  besides  the  wives  or  concubines  of  the  men  of  the 
famil}'. 

8.  who  hath  espoused  her  to  himself.  The  alternative 
reading  is  rendered  by  the  R.  V.  marg.  so  that  he  hath  not 
espoused  her.  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  can  have  this  meaning. 


EXODUS  21.  9-1 T.     E  173 

himself,  then  shall  he  let  her  be  redeemed  :   to  sell  her 
unto  a  strange  people  he  shall  have  no  power,  seeing  he 
hath  dealt  deceitfully  with  her.     And  if  he  espouse  her  9 
unto  his  son,  he  shall  deal  with  her  after  the  manner 
of  daughters.     If  he  take  him  another  wife,    her  ^food,  10 
her  raiment,  and   her  duty  of  marriage,  shall   he  not 
diminish.     And  if  he  do  not  these  three  unto  her,  then  11 
shall  she  go  out  for  nothing,  without  money. 

^Yi^o.  flesh. 


There  is  much  difference  of  opinion  as  to  how  this  verse  read 
originally,  and  as  to  what  it  means.  As  to  this  particular  clause 
we  may  choose  between  the  following  interpretations.  Having 
bought  a  girl  with  a  view  to  marriage  or  concubinage,  and 
changing  his  mind — (i)  the  owner  may  not  sell  her,  but  must  let 
her  family  buy  her  back,  (ii)  If  the  owner  has  not  actually 
made  her  his  wife  or  concubine,  she  may  be  sold  or  returned  to 
her  family,  but  may  not  be  sold  to  a  foreigner,  (iii)  Because  the 
owner  has  made  her  his  wife  or  concubine,  he  may  not  sell  her, 
but  must  return  her  to  her  family. 

Of  course  these  views  are  not  simply  interpretations  of  the 
same  Hebrew,  but  involve  different  theories  as  to  virhat  the 
original  Hebrew  was.     Cf,  also  the  following  notes, 

then  shall  he  let  her  be  redeemed,  i.  e.  bought  back  by 
her  father,  by  repayment  of  the  price  paid  for  her.  Even  if  the 
father  had  used  the  money,  e.  g.  to  pay  a  debt,  the  family  might 
be  expected  to  provide  it.  It  is  also  proposed  to  translate  '  let 
her  be  purchased,'  i.  e.  by  some  other  Israelite. 

nnto  a  strang-e  people,  i.  e.  a  foreigner,  or,  according  to 
some,  any  family  other  than  her  own  ;  cf.  above. 

hath  dealt  deceitfully  with  her,  either  by  not  fulfilling  his 
engagement  to  take  her  as  a  concubine,  or  by  repudiating  her 
after  she  had  become  his  concubine. 

9.  deal  with  her  after  the  manner  of  daughters,  treat  her 
as  a  daughter  and  not  as  a  slave  ;  or  perhaps,  more  particularly, 
make  such  provision  for  her  marriage  with  his  son  as  he  would 
make  if  he  were  giving  his  own  daughter  in  marriage. 

10  f.  If  he  take  him  another  wife.  Without  actually  sever- 
ing his  connexion  with  the  girl  as  concubine,  he  might  take 
another  concubine,  and  ill-treat  and  neglect  the  former.  In  that 
case  she  might  return  to  her  own  family,  and  her  owner  could 
not  claim  repayment  of  the  purchase-money. 


174  EXODUS  21.  12-14.     E 

12  He  that  smiteth  a  man,  so  that  he  die,  shall  surely  be 

13  put  to  death.     And  if  a  man  lie  not  in  wait,  but  God 
deliver  him  into  his  hand;    then  I  will  appoint  thee 

14  a   place  whither  he   shall   flee.     And   if  a  man  come 
presumptuously  upon  his  neighbour,  to  slay  him  with 

xxi.  12-32.    On  Injuries  to  the  Person. 

12-17.  "^^^  following  offences  are  to  be  punished  with  Death  : — 

12-14.  Murder.  A  man  who  has  slain  another  by  accident  may 
take  refuge  at  the  altar  ^,  but  there  is  no  sanctuary  for  the 
murderer, 

15  f.  Ill-treatment  of,  or  disrespect  to,  Parents. 

16.  Kidnapping. 

q8  f.  Keeping  a  dangerous  o.x  ;  cf.  below. 

18-36.  Compensation  or  Minor  Punishments  are  appointed 
for  the  following  : — 

18  f.,  23-25.    Injury  inflicted  in  a  fight.     See  notes, 

20  f.,  26  f.  Injury  inflicted  on  a  slave.  No  punishment,  how- 
ever, is  to  be  inflicted  on  a  man  who  has  flogged  a  slave  to  death, 
if  he  or  she  does  not  actually  die  under  the  master's  hand. 

22.  Causing  miscarriage. 

[23-7,  see  above] 

28-32.  Injury  inflicted  by  an  ox.  Various  penalties,  according  to 
whether  the  ox  was  known  to  be  dangerous  (cf.  above)  ;  and 
according  to  the  status  of  the  victim. 

12.  Cf.  Gen.  ix.  6 ;  Exod.  xx.  13.  The  murderer  would 
usually  be  put  to  death  by  the  *  avengers  of  blood,'  the  kinsfolk  of 
the  victim,  Deut.  xix.  12  ;  Num.  xxxv.  19. 

13.  if  a  man  lie  not  in  wait.  The  wording  m.ight,  according 
to  our  ideas,  exclude  cases  where  a  man  killed  another  in  a  fight, 
not  intending  to  proceed  to  such  extremities,  but  18  f.  suggests 
that  such  slaying  would  have  been  regarded  by  this  code  as 
murder.  We  find  only  two  alternatives,  murder  or  accidental 
homicide  ;  our  *  manslaughter  '  is  not  recognized,  although  verse 
30  admits  a  minor  penalty  for  indirect  homicide. 

God  deliver  him  into  his  hand.  Rather,  ^  God  hath 
brought  it  about  through  his  instrumentality,'  i.  e.  without  any 
intention  on  the  part  of  the  slayer.  Primitive  faith  was  quick 
to  discern  the  workings  of  the  Divine  Providence.  Cf.  the  'Act 
of  God'  in  English  law. 

14.  come  presumptuously  upon  his  neighbour  to  slay  him 

*  Cf.  notes. 


EXODUS  21 


1^-21. 


175 


guile;    thou  shalt  take   him    from  mine  altar,  that  he 
may  die. 

And  he  that  smiteth  his  father,  or  his  mother,  shall  be  15 
surely  put  to  death. 

And  he  that  stealeth  a  man,  and  selleth  him,  or  if  he  16 
be  found  in  his  hand,  he  shall  surely  be  put  to  death. 

And  he  that  ^  curseth  his  father,  or  his  mother,  shall  1 7 
surely  be  put  to  death. 

And  if  men  contend,  and  one  smiteth  the  other  with  a  18 
stone,  or  with  his  fist,  and  he  die  not,  but  keep  his  bed : 
if  he  rise  again,  and  walk  abroad  upon  his  staff,  then  19 
shall  he  that  smote  him  be  quit :    only  he  shall  pay  for 
^  the  loss  of  his  time,  and  shall  cause  him  to  be  thoroughly 
healed. 

And  if  a  man  smite  ^his  servant,  or  his  maid,  with  ao 
a  rod,  and  he  die  under  his  hand;    he  shall  surely  be 
punished.     Notwithstanding,   if  he   continue   a   day  or  31 
two,  he  shall  not  be  punished :  for  he  is  his  money. 

*  Or,  revileth  ^  Heb.  his  sitting  or  ceasing. 

'^  Or,  his  bondman,  or  his  bondwoman 


with  gnile.   Rather,  *  slay  another  in  deliberate  defiance  of  law  and 
justice.' 

15.  Similarly  Hammurabi  ordains  that  if  a  son  strikes  his  father 
his  hands  shall  be  cut  off. 

16.  The  corresponding  ordinance  of  Hammurabi  is  that  any  one 
who  kidnaps  a  boy  shall  be  put  to  death. 

18-19.  Hammurabi  directs  that,  if  one  man  injures  another  in 
a  quarrel,  he  shall  take  an  oath  that  he  did  not  intend  to  hurt 
him.  and  shall  pay  the  doctor. 

Verses  23-25  should  follow  verse  19  ;   see  below. 

20-21.  It  is  fairly  certain  that  these  verses  and  verses  26  and  27 
are  a  mitigation  of  more  primitive  custom  which  gave  the  master 
absolute  control  over  his  slaves ;  including  power  of  life  and 
death.  Thus  the  harshness  does  not  belong  to  the  author  of  these 
laws;  their  point  is  the  limitation  of  the  master's  rights;  the 
intention  of  the  legislator  is  humane,  and  his  provisions  for 
the  welfare  of  slaves  were  not  restricted  by  lack  of  humanity,  but 


176  EXODUS  21.  22-25.     E 

22  And  if  men  strive  together,  and  hurt  a  woman  with 
child,  so  that  her  fruit  depart,  and  yet  no  mischief 
follow :  he  shall  be  surely  fined,  according  as  the 
woman's  husband  shall  lay  upon  him  ;   and  he  shall  pay 

23  as  the  judges  determine.     But  if  any  mischief  follow, 

24  then  thou  shalt  give  life  for  life,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for 

25  tooth,  hand  for  hand,  foot  for  foot,  burning  for  burning, 
wound  for  wound,  stripe  for  stripe. 

by  practical  difficulties.     If  he  had  made  his  laws  more  unfavour- 
able to  the  master  they  would  have  remained  a  dead  letter. 

Verses  26  and  27  should  follow  verse  21  ;  see  below. 

22.  For  a  similar  offence  Hammurabi  prescribes  ten  shekels 
compensation  if  the  ^voman  is  free.  The  same  condition  is 
implied  by  the  context  here. 

according'  as  the  woman's  husband  shall  lay  npon  him . . . 
as  the  judsfes  determine.  If  we  accept  this  translation,  we  must 
understand  it  to  mean  that  the  claim  of  the  husband  is  to  be 
subject  to  the  approval  of  the  judges.  The  phrase,  '  he  shall  pay 
as  the  judges  determine/  may  be  a  later  addition  intended  to  meet 
the  difficulty  that  the  husband's  claim  might  easily  be  exorbitant. 
But  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  R.  V.  is  a  possible  translation,  and 
whether  the  Hebrew  makes  sense  as  it  stands.  A  slight  alteration 
of  the  Hebrew  would  give,  '  so  he  shall  pay  for  the  miscarriage.' 

23-25.  These  verses  are  clearly  the  sequel  of  verse  19,  and  not 
of  verse  22.  The  transposition  was  due  to  the  phrase  '  if  any 
mischief  follow.'  A  scribe,  attending  to  the  words  and  not  to  the 
general  sense,  thought  that  this  phrase  must  refer  to  the  *  and 
yet  no  mischief  follow'  of  verse  22,  and  altered  the  order 
accordingly. 

The  principle  of  these  verses — Lex  Taltonis,  '  tit  for  tat,' 
'making  the  punishment  fit  the  offence  ' — is  obvious,  and  is  more 
or  less  in  evidence  in  the  laws  and  customs  of  most  peoples, 
especially  in  the  earlier  stages  of  civilization.  There  are  many 
applications  of  it  in  the  Code  of  Hammurabi.  Thus  if  a  man  has 
deprived  a  noble  of  an  eye,  or  a  tooth,  or  maimed  him,  the  culprit 
is  to  lose  an  eye,  a  tooth,  or  to  be  maimed,  respectively.  But 
these  injuries  inflicted  on  an  ordinary  freeman  ^  may  be  atoned  for 
by  money  compensation.     Cf.  Lev.  xxiv.  20  ;  Deut.  xix.  21. 

^  The  words  represented  by  *  noble,'  '  ordinary  freeman,'  are 
variously  rendered  in  different  translations  of  the  Code;  but  it  seems 
clear  that  two  social  grades  are  distinguished  above  the  slaves. 


EXODUS  21.  26-30.     E  177 

And  if  a  man  smite  the  eye  of  his  servant,  or  the  eye  26 
of  his  maid,  and  destroy  it ;    he  shall  let  him  go  free  for 
his  eye's  sake.     And  if  he  smite  out  his  manservant's  27 
tooth,  or  his  maidservant's  tooth ;    he  shall  let  him  go 
free  for  his  tooth's  sake. 

And  if  an  ox  gore  a  man  or  a  woman,  that  they  die,  28 
the  ox  shall  be  surely  stoned,  and  his  flesh  shall  not  be 
eaten  ;  but  the  owner  of  the  ox  shall  be  quit.     But  if  the  29 
ox  were  wont  to  gore  in  time  past,  and  it  hath  been 
testified  to  his  owner,  and  he  hath  not  kept  him  in,  but 
that  he  hath  killed  a  man  or  a  woman ;    the  ox  shall  be 
stoned,  and  his  owner  also  shall  be  put  to  death.     If  30 
there  be  laid  on  him  a  ransom,  then  he  shall  give  for  the 


26  f.  These  verses  should  follow  verse  20,  of  which  they  are 
the  natural  sequel.  The  transposition  was  probably — in  some 
way  not  easy  to  discover — due  to  the  interference  with  the 
original  order  by  moving  verses  23-25  out  of  their  proper  place. 
When  a  scribe  once  begins  to  alter  the  arrangement  of  paragraphs 
in  a  document  he  is  copying,  anything  is  possible. 

Hammurabi  requires  that  any  one  who  deprives  a  slave  of  an 
eye  or  maims  a  limb  shall  pay  half  his  value  to  his  owner  ^ 

28-32.  Hammurabi  lays  down  that  no  claim  can  be  made 
against  the  owner  of  an  ox  which  has  killed  a  man,  unless  the 
owner  knew  it  was  dangerous,  and  failed  to  take  proper  pre- 
cautions. When  he  has  been  thus  careless,  he  must  pay  a  fixed 
compensation,  so  much  for  a  freeman,  less  for  a  slave. 

28.  the  ox  shall  be  surely  stoned,  and  his  flesh  shall  not 
be  eaten.  The  ox  is  regarded  as  a  murderer,  and  its  flesh  is 
considered  unclean.  Cf.  Gen.  ix.  5,  '  Your  blood,  the  blood 
of  your  lives,  will  I  require  at  the  hand  of  every  beast .  .  .  and  at 
the  hand  of  man.' 

30.  A  case  of  wergeld  or  substitution  of  compensation  for 
Blood-revenge.  As  this  offence  is  not  included  in  the  list  of 
capital  crimes  in  verses  12-17,  we  may  conclude  that  it  was 
usual  to  accept  compensation. 

a  ransom.     The  Hebrew  word  is  kopher,  from  a  root  used 
as  a  technical  term  in  connexion  with  the  atoning  value  of  sacrifices. 


^  The  words  *  to  his  owner '  are  not  in  the  Code,  but  they  are 
clearly  implied  by  the  rest  of  the  Code. 

N 


lyS  EXODUS  21.  31—22.  i.     E 

redemption  of  his  life  whatsoever  is  laid  upon  him. 
31  Whether  he  have  gored  a  son,  or  have  gored  a  daughter, 

according  to  this  judgement  shall  it  be  done  unto  him. 
33  If  the  ox  gore  a  manservant  or  a  maidservant ;    he  shall 

give  unto  their  master  thirty  shekels  of  silver,  and  the  ox 

shall  be  stoned. 

33  And  if  a  man  shall  open  a  pit,  or  if  a  man  shall  dig 
a  pit  and  not  cover  it,  and  an  ox  or  an  ass  fall  therein, 

34  the  owner  of  the  pit  shall  make  it  good ;  he  shall  give 
money  unto  the  owner  of  them,  and  the  dead  beasi 
shall  be  his. 

35  And  if  one  man's  ox  hurt  another's,  that  he  die  ;  then 
they  shall  sell  the  live  ox,  and  divide  the  price  of  it ;  and 

36  the  dead  also  they  shall  divide.  Or  if  it  be  known  that 
the  ox  was  wont  to  gore  in  time  past,  and  his  owner  hath 
not  kept  him  in ;  he  shall  surely  pay  ox  for  ox,  and  the 
dead  beast  shall  be  his  own. 

22      ^  If  a  man  shall  steal  an  ox,  or  a  sheep,  and  kill  it,  or  sell 

*  [Ch.  xxi.  37  in  Heb.] 

Here  the  noun  is  used  for  wergeld  ;   see   above,    and    compare 
further  on. 

whatsoever  is  laid  upon  Mm,  probably  by  the  kinsfolk 
of  the  person  killed,  as  in  verse  22.  Custom  and  public  opinion 
would  check  exorbitant  demands. 

32.  thirty  shekels.  A  shekel  contained  rather  less  silver  than 
our  half-crown,  but  its  purchasing  power  was  very  much  greater  ; 
e.g.  in  2  Kings  vii.  i,  under  circumstances  which  could  tend 
to  raise  prices,  a  shekel  bought  a  peck  and  a  half  of  flour.  An 
adult  slave  in  the  United  States  of  America  in  the  first  half  of  the 
nineteenth  century  often  sold  for  from  /Cioo  to  ;!^i5o  and 
upwards. 

the  ox  shall  he  stoned.  As  far  as  the  animal  is  concerned 
the  killing  of  a  slave  is  more  or  less  murder  ;  cf.  on  verse  28. 

^xi'  33 — xxii.  17.     On  Offences  against  Propei  ty. 

Punishment  or  compensation  is  prescribed  as  follows  : — 

xxi.  33  f.  Pit  left  unfenccd.  The  owner  must  purchase  the  carcase 
of  an  ox  or  ass  killed  by  falling  into  it,  at  the  value  it  had  while 
living. 


EXODUS  22.  I.     E  179 

it ;    he  shall  pay  five  oxen  for  an  ox,  and  four  sheep  for 

35  f.  Vicious  ox.  If  the  character  of  the  ox  was  not  previously 
known,  and  it  kills  another  ox,  the  surviving  ox  is  to  be  sold,  and 
the  price,  together  with  the  carcase  of  the  dead  ox,  to  be  divided 
between  the  two  owners.  But  if  the  ox  was  known  to  be  vicious, 
he  must  purchase  the  carcase,  by  providing  a  live  ox. 

xxii.  1-4,  Theft.  If  a  man  has  stolen  an  ox  or  a  sheep,  and 
killed  or  sold  it,  he  shall  pay  five  oxen  for  an  ox,  and  four  sheep 
for  a  sheep.  But  if  he  is  caught  with  the  animal  in  his  possession, 
he  shall  restore  it,  and  provide  another  like  it.  If  the  thief 
has  nothing  to  pay,  he  is  to  be  sold  as  a  slave. 

A  burglar,  caught  in  the  act,  may  be  put  to  death  during  the 
night,  but  not  after  sunrise. 

5.  Trespass.  If  a  man  turns  his  beast  into  another  man's  field 
or  vineyard  he  shall  make  full  restitution. 

6.  Arson.     Restitution  must  be  made. 

7-9.  Loss  of  money  or  goods  entrusted  to  a  ntan  for  safe  keeping. 
If  the  custodian  is  at  fault  he  must  pay  double,     (Cf.  notes.) 

10-13.  Loss  of  or  injury  to,  an  animal  entrusted  to  a  man  for  safe 
keeping.  If  the  animal  dies,  or  is  injured,  or  is  lost  by  some 
unknown  cause,  the  custodian  may  clear  himself  by  an  oath,  and 
shall  not  be  held  responsible.  If  it  is  stolen  he  must  compensate 
the  owner.  If  it  is  torn  in  pieces  the  custodian  is  not  to  be  held 
responsible  if  he  produces  the  carcase. 

14,  15.  Death  or  injury  to  a  borrozved  or  hired  animal.  If  the 
animal  is  under  the  control  of  the  hirer  he  shall  make  restitution, 
but  not  if  it  is  under  the  control  of  its  owner. 

16,  17.  Seduction.  The  seducer  must  marry  the  girl,  or  pay 
compensation. 

xxi.  33.  A  more  correct  rendering  would  be,  '  If  a  man  open  or  dig 
a  pit,  and  leave  it  uncovered,'  &c.  The  'open'  refers  to  the 
uncovering  of  an  existing  pit,  the  'dig'  to  the  making  of  a 
new  one. 

35f.;  cf.  28f. 

xxii.  1-4.  A  law  about  robberj'  in  general  has  been  inserted  in 
the  middle  of  the  law  about  the  theft  of  an  ox  or  an  ass.  The  two 
should  be  separated  thus  : — 

77?^/  of  ox  or  ass.  Verses  i,  3  b,  4.  If  a  man  steal  an  ox  or  a 
sheep,  and  kill  or  sell  it,  he  shall  pay  five  oxen  for  an  ox,  and  four 
sheep  for  a  sheep.  He  must  make  restitution  ;  if  he  have  nothing, 
then  he  shall  be  sold  for  his  theft.  If  the  theft  be  found  in  his 
hand  alive,  ox,  or  ass,  or  sheep,  he  shall  pay  double. 

Robbery.  Verses  2,  3  a.  If  a  thief  be  found  breaking  in,  and  be 
mortally  hurt,  it  shall  be  justifiable  homicide}  but  after  sunrise  it 
shall  be  murder. 

N    2 


i8o  EXODUS  22.  2-7.     E 

2  a  sheep.  ^  If  the  thief  be  found  breaking  in,  and  be 
smitten  that  he  die,  there  shall  be  no  ^  bloodguiltiness 

3  for  him.  If  the  sun  be  risen  upon  him,  there  shall  be 
bloodguiltiness  for  him  :   he  should  make  restitution ;   if 

4  he  have  nothing,  then  he  shall  be  sold  for  his  theft.  If 
the  theft  be  found  in  his  hand  alive,  whether  it  be  ox,  Oi 
ass,  or  sheep ;  he  shall  pay  double. 

5  If  a  man  shall  cause  a  field  or  vineyard  to  be  eaten, 
and  shall  let  his  beast  loose,  and  it  feed  in  another 
man's  field ;  of  the  best  of  his  own  field,  and  of  the  best 
of  his  own  vineyard,  shall  he  make  restitution. 

6  If  fire  break  out,  and  catch  in  thorns,  so  that  the 
shocks  of  corn,  or  the  standing  corn,  or  the  field,  be 
consumed;  he  that  kindled  the  fire  shall  surely  make 
restitution. 

7  If  a  man  shall  deliver  unto  his  neighbour  money  or 

*  [Ch.  xxii.  I  in  Heb.]         ^  Heb.  biooci. 

Hammurabi's  law  about  stealing  animals  is  only  partly  legible. 
In  his  code  housebreaking  and  brigandage  are  punished  with 
death. 

2.  be  found  breaking  in,  i.  e.  in  the  night. 

there  shall  be  no  bloodguiltiness,  i.  e.  the  relatives  of  the 
thief  shall  not  be  entitled  to  claim  blood-revenge  against  the 
slayer. 

4.  pay  double :  cf.  analysis  above,  also  verse  6. 

5.  Hammurabi  prescribes  a  fine  or  scale  of  compensation  for 
similar  trespasses. 

another  man's  field.  After  these  words  we  should  add,  with 
the  Septuagint  and  the  Samaritan  text,  *  he  shall  make  compensa- 
tion from  his  own  field  according  to  the  produce  thereof,  and  if  he 
has  caused  the  whole  field  to  be  eaten  '  (then  follows  as  in  our 
text)  '  of  the  best  of  his  own  field.' 

6.  If  fire  break  out,  &c.  *  Arson '  is  probably  not  strictly 
correct  in  reference  to  this  verse.  The  case  contemplated  seems 
to  be  one  in  which  a  man  kindles  a  fire,  possibly  to  burn  up 
rubbish,  in  his  own  field,  and  it  spreads  to  his  neighbour's.  We 
might  translate,  '  if  a  fire  spread.' 

7-9.     Hammurabi    has    laws    dealing   with    similar   cases ;    in 


EXODUS  22.  8.     E  i8r 

stuff  to  keep,  and  it  be  stolen  out  of  the  man's  house  ;  if 
the  thief  be  found,  he  shall  pay  double.  If  the  thief  be 
not  found,  then  the  master  of  the  house  shall  come  near 
unto  «-  God,  to  see  whether  he  have  not  put  his  hand  unto 

•  Or,  the  judges 


one  of  them  he  provides  that  if  a  man  has  had  charge  of  another's 
property,  and  it  has  been  stolen  from  him,  he  shall  compensate 
the  owner,  and  shall  recover  the  property  from  the  thief. 

In  Israel,  under  the  early  monarchy,  there  v/as  little  or  nothing 
corresponding  to  the  protection  given  by  our  police  ;  the  safety  of 
a  man's  property  depended  on  his  own  household  and  any  help 
he  could  get  from  his  neighbours.  If  he  lived  in  an  outlying 
farm  or  hamlet  he  might  be  glad  to  deposit  his  valuables  with 
some  friend  in  a  fortified  town  ;  just  as  with  us  deeds  and  bonds 
are  often  placed  in  charge  of  a  bank  or  a  solicitor. 

7.  unto  Ms  neigrhbour,  rather,  *  to  some  other  person.' 
stuff,  gear,  goods. 

8  f.  unto  God,  to  see  whether,  «&c.  The  two  parties  would 
attend  at  a  sanctuary.  The  analogy  of  verse  ii  suggests  that  the 
suspected  man  would  either  admit  his  guilt  or  take  an  oath  that 
he  was  innocent.  In  some  cases,  verse  ii,  the  oath  would  be 
accepted  and  the  matter  would  be  at  an  end.  But  in  other 
cases,  according  to  verse  9,  a  Divine  decision  would  be  given. 
How  this  decision  was  to  be  made  known  we  are  not  told. 
A  Divine  judgement  might  fall  upon  the  perjurer,  possibly 
through  some  form  of  ordeal.  Thus  in  Num.  v.  11-31  a  woman 
suspected  of  adultery  is  to  drink  dirty  water  with  certain  cere- 
monies, and  her  guilt  or  innocence  is  shown  by  *  her  belly 
swelling  and  her  thigh  falling  away,'  or  by  her  remaining  free 
from  disease.  Or,  again,  recourse  might  be  had  to  the  sacred  lots 
or  some  other  form  of  oracle.  The  R.  V.  marg.  'judges'  is  not 
a  correct  translation  ;  but  the  sense  it  suggests  is  not  far  wrong, 
as  the  priests  of  the  sanctuary  would  no  doubt  try  to  settle  the 
matter  by  ordinary  evidence  before  resorting  to  ordeal  or  oracle. 

We  may  compare  the  clause  in  Solomon's  prayer  at  the  Dedica- 
tion of  the  Temple,  i  Kings  viii.  31  f.,  <  If  one  man  sin  against 
another,  and  he  be  made  to  take  an  oath,  and  he  come  and  swear 
before  thine  altar  in  this  house  :  then  hear  thou  in  heaven,  and 
act,  and  judge  thy  servants,  condemning  the  guilty,  to  bring  his 
way  upon  his  own  head  ;  and  giving  judgement  in  favour  of  him 
who  is  in  the  right,  to  give  him  according  to  his  uprightness.' 

Compurgation  by  oath  is  recognized  in  many  codes,  and  plays 
a  considerable  part  in  the  laws  of  Hammurabi ;  cf.  on  verses  10  f. 


i82  EXODUS  22.  9-11.    E 

9  his  neighbour's  goods.  For  every  matter  of  trespass, 
whether  it  be  for  ox,  for  ass,  for  sheep,  for  raiment,  or 
for  any  manner  of  lost  thing,  whereof  one  saith,  This  is 
it,  the  cause  of  both  parties  shall  come  before  ^  God  ;  he 
whom  ^^God  shall  condemn  shall  pay  double  unto  his 
neighbour. 

10  If  a  man  deliver  unto  his  neighbour  an  ass,  or  an  ox, 
or  a  sheep,  or  any  beast,  to  keep ;  and  it  die,  or  be  hurt, 

11  or  driven  away,  no  man  seeing  it :  the  oath  of  the  Lord 

*0r,  the  judges 


9.  trespass,  &c.,  here,  'any  offence  against  property,  whether 
it  has  to  do  with  ox,'  &c. 

for  any  manner  of  lost  thing*,  whereof  one  saith,  This  is 

it.  A  man  claims  that  something  which  he  finds  in  some  one 
else's  possession  is  property  of  his  own  which  he  has  lost.  Such 
claims  were  often  mistaken  or  fraudulent.  Hammurabi  deals  at 
le-ngth  with  the  procedure  to  be  observed  in  such  cases.  Amongst 
other  things  the  witnesses  are  to  give  their  evidence  '  before 
God.' 

shall  pay  double,  i.  e.  the  man  found  in  possession  of  lost 
property  shall  restore  it,  and  add  as  much  again.  Perhaps  also 
any  one  who  brought  a  wrongful  claim  would  have  to  make  similar 
compensation  to  the  man  he  had  slandered.  Hammurabi  pre- 
scribes that  any  one  who  brought  such  claims  and  failed  to 
substantiate  them  should  be  put  to  death. 

10-13.  The  idea  of  these  verses  is  that  the  shepherd  is 
responsible  for  his  own  carelessness,  but  not  for  unavoidable 
accidents.  He  is  supposed  to  be  able  to  prevent  theft,  but  not 
disease  or  injury  by  wild  beasts. 

Similarly  Hammurabi  provides  that  the  shepherd  shall  com- 
pensate the  owner  for  injury  due  to  his  carelessness,  but  that 
if  damage  is  caused  by  an  act  of  God  or  by  a  lion,  the  shepherd 
shall  purge  himself  before  God,  and  shall  not  be  required  to  pay 
compensation. 

10.  driven  away, '  taken  captive  and  carried  away  into  captivity,' 
perhaps  referring  to  the  high-handed  violence  of  a  band  of  robbers, 
whom  the  shepherd  would  be  powerless  to  resist,  as  distinguished 
from  the  mere  thief  of  verse  11.  But  this  does  not  suit  the  'no 
man  seeing  it.'  As  the  word  for  'driven  away,'  nishbd,  is  else- 
where used  almost  exclusively  of  men  who  are  taken  prisoners, 
and  is  also  nearl}'  identical  with  'hurt/  uishbar,  the  words  'or 


EXODUS  22.  12-15.     E  183 

shall  be  between  them  both,  whether  he  hath  not  put  his 
hand  unto  his  neighbour's  goods ;  and  the  owner  thereof 
shall  accept  it,  and  he  shall  not  make  restitution.  But  12 
if  it  be  stolen  from  him,  he  shall  make  restitution  unto 
the  owner  thereof.  If  it  be  torn  in  pieces,  let  him  bring  13 
it  for  witness ;  he  shall  not  make  good  that  which 
was  torn. 

And  if  a  man  »  borrow  aught  of  his  neighbour,  and  it  14 
be  hurt,  or  die,  the  owner  thereof  not  being  with  it,  he 
shall  surely  make  restitution.     If  the  owner  thereof  be  15 
\vith  it,  he  shall  not  make  it  good  :  if  it  be  an  hired  thing, 
^  it  came  for  its  hire. 
*  Heb.  ask.  ^  Or,  it  is  reckoned  in  (Heb.  cometh  into)  its  hire 

driven  away '  may  have  arisen  through  an  accidental  repetition  of 
'or  hurt,'  altered  to  make  sense. 

11.  Cf.  above. 

shall  accept  it,  probably  the  oath.  If  we  omit  the  *or 
driven  away,'  we  might  interpret,  'shall  accept  the  injured  animal 
or  the  carcase,  instead  of  requiring  it  to  be  replaced  by  a  sound, 
living  beast.' 

13.  In  Gen,  xxxi,  39  Jacob  illustrates  his  fidelity  to  Laban  by 
saying  that  he  had  himself  borne  the  loss  caused  by  wild  beasts, 
and  had  not  brought  the  mangled  carcases  to  Laban  that  the  loss 
might  fall  upon  the  latter  as  owner. 

14  f.  If  a  man  hires  (or  borrows)  an  animal  without  the  owner, 
it  is  entirely  under  the  hirer's  control,  and  he  is  responsible  for 
any  accident  that  may  befall  it.  But  if  he  hires  the  services 
of  a  man  and  his  animal,  the  animal  is  still  under  the  control  of  its 
owner,  and  he  is  responsible. 

Hammurabi  has  several  laws  dealing  with  such  cases.  If 
a  hired  animal  is  killed  by  a  lion  in  the  open  country  the  loss 
falls  upon  the  owner  ;  but  if  it  suffers  through  the  carelessness  or 
cruelty  of  the  hirer  he  is  responsible. 

15.  if  it  be  an  hired  thing-,  it  came  for  its  hire,  i.  e.  in  fixing 
the  charge  for  hiring,  the  risk  of  accident  is  taken  into  account. 
The  meaning  of  the  Hebrew  is  doubtful ;  other  interpretations 
are  :  {a)  '  If  the  owner  of  the  hired  animal  has  sent  a  hired  servant 
in  charge  of  it,  he  shall  pa}'  out  of  his  wages  for  any  accident  that 
happens  to  it.'  b  *lf  a  hired  servant  is  in  charge  of  an  animal 
working  for  his  master,  and  any  harm  befalls  it,  he  shall  pay  for 


i84  EXODUS  22.  16-18.     E 

16  And  if  a  man  entice  a  virgin  that  is  not  betrothed,  and 
lie  with  her,  he  shall  surely  pay  a  dowry  for  her  to  be  his 

17  wife.     If  her  father  utterly  refuse  to  give  her  unto  him, 
he  shall  pay  money  according  to  the  dowry  of  virgins. 

18  Thou  shalt  not  suffer  a  sorceress  to  live. 


it  out  of  his  wages.'  If  the  last  view  be  taken,  this  sentence  is 
a  separate  ordinahce,  and  not  merely  a  comment  on,  or  qualifica- 
tion of,  the  preceding. 

16  f.  According  to  primitive  ideas  the  seduction  of  a  daughter 
before  she  was  betrothed  or  married  vi^as  an  offence  against 
property,  because  the  father  would  in  the  natural  course  of  events 
make  money  by  selling  his  daughter  in  marriage. 

16.  that  is  not  betrothed.  A  betrothed  woman  was  regarded 
as  a  wife, and  according  to  Deut.  xxii,  23-25,  anyone  seducing  or 
forcing  her  was  to  be  put  to  death  ;  similarly  Hammurabi. 

he  shall  surely  pay  a  dowry  for  her  to  be  his  wife.  Rather 
*he  must  purchase  her  for  his  wife  at  the  (usual)  price,  mohar^ ; 
of.  above  on  verse  i6f. 

17.  he  shall  pay  money,  &c.,  i.  e.  he  must  pay  the  mohar, 
although  he  is  not  allowed  to  have  the  girl  as  his  wife. 

xxii.   18 — xxiii.  19.     On  various  Ritual  and  Moral 
Offences. 

The  following  crimes  are  to  be  punished  with  death  : — 
xxii.  18.     Sorcery, 

19.  Bestiality. 

20.  Worship  of  gods  other  than  Yahweh. 

xxii,  22-24  (xxiii.  9).  If  the  Israelites  wrong  the^^;'^  the  widow, 
or  the  fatherless,  Yahweh  will  slay  them  with  the  sword. 

25.  Interest  must  not  be  taken  from  poor  Israelites. 

26,  27.  A  garment  taken  in  pledge  must  be  restored  before 
night,  under  penalty  of  Divine  displeasure. 

28.     God  must  not  be  reviled,  and  the  king  must  not  be  cursed. 

29-30  (xxiii.  19a).  Firstfruits,  and  the  firstborn  of  men,  oxen, 
and  sheep  are  to  be  given  to  God. 

31.  Israelites  must  not  eat  carcases  mangled  by  wild  beasts, 
because  they  (the  Israelites)  are  sacred  to  Yahweh. 

xxiii.  1-3,  6-8.  Nothing  is  to  be  said  or  done  which  would 
interfere  with  the  impartial  administration  of  justice. 

4-5.     Loss  of,  or  injury  to,  an  ox  or  ass  is  to  be  prevented  by 

*  Resident  alien  or  client;  see  on  ii.  22. 


EXODUS  22.  19-21.     E  185 

Whosoever  lieth  with  a  beast  shall  surely  be  put  to  19 
death. 

He  that  sacrificeth  unto  any  god,  save  unto  the  Lord  20 
only,  shall  be  '^utterly  destroyed.  And  a  stranger  shalt  21 
*Heb.  devoted.     See  Lev.  xxvii.  29. 


any  one  who  has  the  opportunity  of  giving  help,  even  if  the  owner 
is  his  enemy. 

6-8.     See  verses  1-3. 

9.    See  xxii.  22-4. 

lo-ii.     The  land  is  to  lie  fallow  in  the  Seventh  Year. 

12.  No  work  is  to  be  done  on  the  Seventh  Day. 

13.  No  other  god  is  to  be  worshipped  other  than  Yahweh. 
14-17.     Three  festivals  are  to  be  observed  : — 

15.  Unleavened  Bread. 

16.  Harvest. 
Vintage. 

18  rt.     Leavened  bread  not  to  be  offered  with  sacrifices. 
186.     The  fat  of  a  sacred  meal  not  to  be  left  till  the  morning. 
iga.     See  xxii.  29. 

19  b.    A  kid  is  not  to  be  boiled  in  its  mother's  milk. 

18.  This  verse  has  been  the  occasion  of  much  superstitious 
cruelty,  and  has  encouraged  recurring  epidemics  of  persecution  of 
alleged  witches. 

Hammurabi's  code  opens  with  two  laws  as  to  sorcery;  the 
meaning  of  which  is  not  clear  according  to  the  present  transla- 
tions. These  latter  seem  to  suggest  that  under  some  circum- 
stances the  sorcerer  would  be  put  to  death,  but  that  under  others 
the  practice  of  magic  arts  would  be  regarded  as  legitimate.  From 
other  sources  we  know  that  magic  was  a  recognized  public 
profession  in  Egypt,  Babylon,  and  indeed  throughout  most  of  the 
ancient  world. 

sorceress.  A.  V.  ^  witch.'  Perhaps  in  Israel  the  art  was 
specially  practised  by  women ;  cf.  the  Witch  of  Endor.  The 
Septuagint,  however,  has  '  sorcerers,'  and  the  Syriac  Version 
and  the  Targum  '  sorcerer.' 

19.  This  practice  was  a  part  of  the  ritual  of  some  pagan  cults. 

20.  utterly  destroyed,  marg.  'devoted,'  i.e.  put  to  death  in 
honour  of  Yahweh  as  herem,  '  ban,'  '  taboo,'  like  the  inhabitants 
of  Jericho  and  Achan,  Joshua  vi  f. 

21-24  f.  Cf.  xxiii.  9.  The  constant  injunctions  on  behalf  of  the 
stranger,  the  widow,  and  the  orphan  are  an  eloquent  testimony  to 
the  wretched  condition  of  the  weak  and  helpless  in  Israel ;  and 


i86  EXODUS  22.  22-26. 

thou  not  wrong,  neither  shall  thou  oppress  him  :  for  ye 

22  were  strangers  in  the  land  of  Egypt.     Ye  shall  not  afflict 

23  any  widow,  or  fatherless  child.  If  thou  afflict  them  in 
any  wise,  and  they  cry  at  all  unto  me,  I  will  surely  hear 

24  their  cry  ;  and  my  wrath  shall  wax  hot,  and  I  will  kill  you 
with  the  sword ;  and  your  wives  shall  be  widows,  and 
your  children  fatherless. 

25  If  thou  lend  money  to  any  of  my  people  with  thee  that 
is  poor,  thou  shalt  not  be  to  him  as  a  creditor ;  neither 

26  shall  ye  lay  upon  him  usury.     If  thou  at  all  take  thy 


the  strenuous  emphasis  with  which  Divine  judgement  is  threatened 
shows  how  little  was  to  be  expected  from  any  human  authority. 

21  i-24.  for  ye  were  strangcers  in  the  land,  &c.  Such  didactic 
exhortation  is  not  in  the  manner  of  the  ancient  code  ;  so  that  these 
verses,  or  most  of  them,  are  often  regarded  as  an  editorial  addi- 
tion. 

24.  your  wives  shall  "be  widows,  &c.  Another  application 
of  the  principle  of  an  '  eye  for  an  eye  ' ;   of.  xxi.  33  ff. 

25.  be  to  him  as  a  creditor,  i.  e.  exercise  the  legal  rights  of 
a  creditor,  seize  upon  his  land,  or  sell  him  or  his  family  into 
slavery,  if  he  cannot  pay  his  debts  ;  cf.  Neh.  v,  and  on  xxi,  7. 

usury,  rather,  *  interest,'  the  word  is  said  to  have  meant 
originally  *  biting.'  The  Old  Testament  consistently  forbids  the 
Jews  to  take  interest  from  their  fellow  countrymen,  Deut.  xxiii. 
20  ;  Lev.  XXV.  36  ;  Jer.  xv.  10 ;  Ezek.  xviii.  8  ;  Ps.  xv.  5  ;  Prov. 
xxviii.  8 ;  while  Deuteronomy  expressly  sanctions  interest  on 
loans  to  foreigners.  The  translation  '  usury '  in  the  English  and 
Latin  versions  is  due  to  a  desire  to  avoid  an  inconvenient  — 
and  indeed  unjustifiable — application  to  modern  conditions  ;  the 
Septuagint  has  '  interest,'  tokos. 

At  the  same  time  the  practice  which  the  Old  Testament  seeks  to 
prevent  is  not  commercial  lending  on  interest,  loans  to  a  merchant 
who  expects  to  make  a  profit  over  and  above  the  interest  by  using 
the  money  borrowed.  As  our  passage  shows,  the  inspired  writers 
desired  to  inculcate  the  dut^'  of  relieving  distress  by  free  loans 
which  might  become  gifts,  and  to  discourage  the  practice  of 
making  a  profit  out  of  the  needs  of  those  who  were  on  the  verge 
of  ruin.  Here,  as  often,  a  lax  rendering  like  'usury'  expresses 
the  real  spirit  of  the  original  better  than  an  exact  translation. 
Nevertheless  the  authors  of  these  passages  probably  intended 
to  forbid  interest  altogether ;  they  were  not  familiar  enough  with 


EXODUS  22.  27,2s.     E  187 

neighbour's  garment  to  pledge,  thou  shah  restore  it  unto 
him  by  that  the  sun  goeth  down  :    for  that  is  his  only  27 
covering,  it  is  his  garment  for  his  skin :  wherein  shall  he 
sleep?  and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  he  crieth  unto 
me,  that  I  will  hear ;  for  I  am  gracious.  - 
Thou  shalt  not  revile  '"^God,  nor  curse  a  ruler  of  thy  2S 

*  Or,  f he  judges 

the  higher  commerce  to  understand  that  there  were  circumstances 
under  which  interest  might  be  justifiable.  Hammurabi,  deahng 
with  a  civilization  much  more  advanced  than  that  of  the  Israelite 
monarchy,  recognizes  interest  as  legitimate,  though  he  seeks  to 
protect  the  farmer  from  his  creditor.  If  the  farmer  has  a  bad 
harvest,  he  need  pay  no  interest  on  his  loan  for  that  year.  There 
are  a  very  large  number  of  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  contract 
tablets  extant  which  deal  with  the  rate  of  interest,  some  of  them 
belonging  to  periods  before  the  settlement  of  the  Israelites  in 
Canaan. 

26.  If  thou  at  all  take  thy  neighbour's  garment  to  pledge. 
The  'at  all '  is  an  attempt  to  represent  a  Hebrew  idiom  for  which 
there  is  no  exact  English  equivalent.  The  force  of  the  original 
here  might  be  given  by,  '  If  thou  shouldest  ever  go  so  far  as  to 
take  thy  neighbour's  garment  to  pledge.' 

take  ...  to  pledge,  i.  e.  as  security  for  a  debt. 

garment,  the  upper  garment,  cloak,  or  shawl ;  a  large  square 
of  cloth.  For  the  pledging  of  garments  cf.  Amos  ii.  8;  Job  xxii.6, 
xxiv.  pf.  Deut.  xxiv.  10-13  repeats  and  expands  this  verse,  and 
Deut.  xxiv.  6,  17  forbids  the  taking  of  a  mill-stone  or  a  widow's 
clothes  in  pledge  ;  and  Ezek.  xviii.  7  includes  the  restoring  of 
pledges  to  debtors  amongst  the  indispensable  duties  of  a  good 
man.  It  is  well  to  remember  that  the  pledging  of  garments  of 
small  value  is  carried  on  to  a  large  extent  amongst  our  own  poor. 

by  that  the  sun  goeth  down.  A  poor  man  might  borrow 
a  tool  for  use  during  the  day,  and  deposit  his  cloak  as  security.  It 
is  difficult  to  see  what  use  a  pledge  to  be  restored  at  nightfall 
would  be  in  the  case  of  a  loan  for  some  time  ;  but  perhaps  the 
transaction  gave  the  lender  a  more  formal  and  binding  claim 
to  repaj'ment. 

27.  Probably  editorial ;  cf.  on  verses  21-24. 

wherein  shall  he  sleep?  The  peasant  in  the  East  usually 
sleeps  in  his  upper  garment. 

gracious,  the  Hebrew,  hannun,  suggests  *  kindly  and  helpful, 
responding  to  the  prayer  of  the  need}'.' 

28.  revile   .   .    .  curse.     The  two  words  thus  rendered  are 


i88  EXODUS  22.  29,30     E 

29  people.  Thou  shalt  not  delay  to  offer  of  ^  the  abundance 
of  thy  fruits,  and  of  thy  hquors.     The  firstborn  of  thy 

30  sons  shalt  thou  give  unto  me.  Likewise  shalt  thou  do 
with  thine  oxen,  and  with  thy  sheep  :  seven  days  it  shall 
be  with  its  dam ;  on  the  eighth  day  thou  shalt  give  it  me. 

*  Heb.  thy  fulness  and  thy  tear. 

almost  synonymous  ;  the  latter  is  stronger,  implying  that  the  curse 
actually  injures  its  object. 

God,  so  rather  than  the  marg.  'judges'  ;  cf.  i  Kings  xxi.  13, 
where  Naboth  is  accused  of  '  cursing,'  a  different  word,  *  God  and 
the  king.' 

29.  the  abundance  of  thy  fruits  and  of  thy  liquors,  lit.  as 
marg.  '  thy  fulness  and  thy  tear,'  i.  e.  the  overflow  of  the  threshing- 
floor  and  the  wine-press  and  olive-press,  a  poetic  or  traditional 
expression  for  firstfruits.  God  gives  in  rich  abundance,  so  that 
a  portion  may  readily  be  given  back  to  Him  in  token  of  gratitude. 
The  Septuagint  renders,  '  the  firstfruits  of  the  threshing-floor  and 
the  wine-press.' 

29-30.  The  firstborn  of  thy  sons  shalt  thou  give  unto  me. 
liikewise  shalt  thou  do  with  thine  ox,  &c.  These  clauses  raise 
a  serious  difficulty,  of  which  there  is  no  satisfactory  explanation. 
The  firstborn  of  oxen  and  sheep  were  sacrificed  (Deut.  xv.  19  ff.), 
and  if  Exod.  xxii.  29-31  occurred  in  a  heathen  code,  or  if  the  Book 
of  the  Covenant  stood  by  itself,  we  should  naturally  understand 
verse  29  b  to  mean  that  firstborn  children  were  to  be  sacrificed  to 
Yahweh.  Such  sacrifices  were  not  infrequently!  offered  to  the 
king,  Melech^,  a  title  sometimes  given  to  Yahweh.  And  we 
gather  that  human  firstborn  were  sometimes  sacrificed  to  Yahweh 
under  the  impression  that  His  law  required  them,  a  view  which 
Jeremiah  repudiates,  vii.  31,  xix.  5  ;  but  Ezekiel  seems  to  endorse, 
'  I  gave  them  statutes  that  were  not  good  ...  in  that  they  caused 
to  pass  through  the  fire  all  that  openeth  the  womb.*  Moreover, 
the  story  of  the  proposed  sacrifice  of  Isaac  is  intended  to  teach 
that  God  did  not  require  such  offerings,  and  would  hardly  have 
been  written  if  the  practice  were  not  prevalent  in  Israel. 

Nevertheless,  it  is  clear  that  a  general  sacrificing  of  firstborn 
children  to  Yahweh  was  never  part  of  the  religion  of  Israel 
(Baentsch,  Exodus,  89  f. ;  E.  Meyer,  Die  Israeltten,  5cc.,  127).  The 
practice  appears  in  the  history  towards  the  close  of  the  monarchy; 
it  was  probably  due  to  the  influence  of  neighbouring  nations, 
although  an  attempt  seems  to  have  been  made  to  support  it  from 

^   Moloch  is  an  intentional  mispronunciation  of  the  later  Jews. 


EXODUS  22.  31—23.  3.     E  189 

And  ye  shall  be  holy  men  unto  me:  therefore  ye  shall  31 
not  eat  any  flesh  that  is  torn  of  beasts  in  the  field ;  ye 
shall  cast  it  to  the  dogs. 

Thou  shalt  not  take  up  a  false  report :  put  not  thine  23 
hand   with   the   wicked  to   be  an  unrighteous  witness. 
Thou  shalt  not  follow  a  multitude  to  do  evil ;   neither  2 
shalt   thou   a  speak  in   a  cause   to   turn   aside   after  a 
multitude  to  wrest  judgetJient :  neither  shalt  thou  favour  3 
a  poor  man  in  his  cause. 

*  Or,  hear  witness 


the  wording  of  ancient  laws.  It  is  possible  that  in  a  remote 
pre-Mosaic  period  such  sacrifices  may  have  been  the  custom 
amongst  certain  of  the  ancestors  of  Israel,  and  that  the  wording 
of  our  passage  is  a  survival  from  a  barbaric  age  ;  but  neither  the 
compiler  of  the  Book  of  the  Covenant,  nor  the  author  of  the  Elohistic 
Doaiment,  nor  the  editor  of  the  Pentateuch,  intended  these  words 
to  be  understood  as  a  demand  by  Yahweh  that  human  children 
should  be  sacrificed. 

The  position  of  verse  296,  the  clause  about  the  firstborn  sons 
between  provisions  about  firstfruits  and  the  firstlings  of  animals,  is 
curious  ;  the  clause  may  not  have  originally  belonged  to  this 
context,  or,  as  some  suggest,  it  may  have  read  *thy  cattle,'  mtqnekha, 
instead  of  '  thy  sons,'  banekha. 

Elsewhere  we  are  told  that  the  human  firstborn  were  to  be 
redeemed  ;  some  other  offering  was  to  be  substituted  for  them  ; 
see  on  xiii,  13,  xxxiv.  20,  and  cf.  Num.  iii. 

31.  holy,  set  apart  for  the  worship  of  Yahweh  ;  ct  xv. 
II,  xix.  6. 

any  flesh  that  is  torn  of  beasts.  The  prohibition  is  no 
doubt  ancient,  and  rests  on  primitive  religious  ideas,  being 
probably  connected  with  the  principles  that  the  slaughter  of  an 
animal  for  food  should  take  the  form  of  a  sacrifice,  and  should  be 
so  performed  that  the  blood  should  not  be  consumed.  Neither 
of  these  conditions  could  be  observed  in  the  case  in  question. 
Cf.   Deut.  xiv.  21  ;  Lev.  xvii.  15  f. 

1.  a  false  report.  The  context  shows  that  the  meaning  is 
that  an  innocent  man  is  not  to  be  condemned  on  false  testiraonj'. 

3.  a  poor  man.  Many  recent  commentators,  e.  g.  Baentsch, 
Holzinger,  Kittel,  propose  to  substitute  for  'a  poor  man,'  DL.,, 
*  a  great  man,'  GDL ;  on  the  ground  that  the  latter  is  more 
suitable  to  the  context,  and  to  the  facts  of  life.     An  inclination  on 


190  EXODUS  23.  4-11.     E 

4  If  thou  meet  thine  enemy's  ox  or  his  ass  going  astray, 

5  thou  shalt  surely  bring  it  back  to  him  again.  If  thou  see 
the  ass  of  him  that  hateth  thee  lying  under  his  burden, 
"^and  wouldest  forbear  to  help  him,  thou  shalt  surely  help 
with  him. 

6  Thou  shalt  not  wrest  the  judgement  of  thy  poor  in  his 

7  cause.  Keep  thee  far  from  a  false  matter ;  and  the 
innocent  and   righteous  slay  thou  not :    for  I  will  not 

8  justify  the  wicked.  And  thou  shalt  take  no  gift :  for  a 
gift  blindeth  them  that  have  sight,  and  perverteth  the 

9  b  words  of  the  righteous.  And  a  stranger  shalt  thou  not 
oppress :  for  ye  know  the  heart  of  a  stranger,  seeing  ye 
were  strangers  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 

10  And  six  years  thou  shalt  sow  thy  land,  and  shalt  gather 

11  in  the  increase  thereof:  but  the  seventh  year  thou  shalt 

'^  Or,  and  wouldest  forbear  to  release  it  for  him,  thou  shalt  surely 
release  it  with  htm 
''Or,  cause 

the  part  of  an  Eastern  judge  to  favour  a  poor,  friendless  man 
against  a  powerful  suitor  is  said  to  be  too  rare  to  need  to  be 
guarded  against.  Lev.  xix.  15  is  quoted  on  both  sides,  the  clause 
which  agrees  verbally  with  ours  has  '  great '  ;  but  '  poor '  occurs 
in  a  parallel  clause.  The  alteration  here  is  unnecessary  ;  dramatic 
acts  of  justice  to  the  oppressed,  involving  the  ruin  of  too  powerful 
nobles,  are  among  the  luxuries  of  despots. 

4,  5.  These  two  verses  are  out  of  place  ;  verse  6  is  the  natural 
continuation  of  verse  3.  The  arrangement  of  the  clauses  has 
been  somehow  disturbed,  but  it  is  not  clear  where  these  verses 
stood  originally. 

*r.  for  I  will  not  justify.  Read,  with  the  Septuagint,  '  and 
thou  shalt  not  justify,'  i.e.  acquit,  or  declare  to  be  in  the  right, 
*  the  wicked.' 

8  6-9.  A  didactic  addition  ;  cf.  xxii.  21. 

10,  11.  Cf.  Lev.  XXV  and  Deut.  xv.  The  institution  prescribed 
here  is  not  the  sabbatical  year  of  Lev.  xxv,  but  only  a  step 
towards  it.  These  verses  only  require  that  all  land  shall  be  left 
fallow  one  year  in  seven,  not  that  all  land  shall  be  left  fallow 
in  the  same  year,  and  the  reason  given  is  humanitarian  and  not 
ritual.     Similar  practices  are  still  in  vogue  in  Palestine  (Nowack, 


EXODUS  23.  12-14.     E  191 

» let  it  rest  and  lie  fallow ;  that  the  poor  of  thy  people 
may  eat :  and  what  they  leave  the  beast  of  the  field  shall 
eat.  In  like  manner  thou  shalt  deal  with  thy  vineyard, 
and  with  thy  oliveyard.  Six  days  thou  shalt  do  thy  work,  1 7. 
and  on  the  seventh  day  thou  shalt  ^  rest :  that  thine  ox 
and  thine  ass  may  have  rest,  and  the  son  of  thy  handmaid, 
and  the  stranger,  may  be  refreshed.  And  in  all  things  13 
that  I  have  said  unto  you  take  ye  heed :  and  make  no 
mention  of  the  name  of  other  gods,  neither  let  it  be  heard 
out  of  thy  mouth. 

Three  times  thou  shalt  keep  a  feast  unto  me  in  the  14 

*  Or,  release  it  and  let  it  lie  fallow    See  Deut.  xv.  2, 
''  Or.  keep  sabbath 

Archaeologies^  and  such  a  custom  may  well  have  been  observed  in 
early  times  on  agricultural  grounds  ;  but  the  utilitarian  object 
would  no  doubt  be  associated  with  some  religious  reason  and 
sanction.  Deuteronomy  omits  this  law  as  to  the  land  ;  it  may 
have  proved  unworkable  in  the  later  years  of  the  monarchy.  We 
are  expressly  told  that  in  the  period  before  the  Exile  the  land 
'did  not  enjoy  its  sabbaths,'  Lev.  xxv.  35;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  21. 
Traces  of  the  obsen'ance  of  the  Sabbatical  Year  are  found  in  Neh. 
X.  31,  and  the  later  Jewish  literature. 

11.  let  it  rest,  marg.  'release  it.'  The  word  for  'release,' 
Sh  MT,  is  that  used  in  Deut.  xv.  2  for  the  cancelling  of  debts  in 
the  seventh  year. 

that  the  poor  of  thy  people  may  eat,  &c.  ;  i.  e.  of  the  self- 
sown  crop. 

In  like  manner  thou  shalt  deal  with  thy  vineyard,  &c. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  if  vineyards  and  oliveyards  had  been 
left  to  themselves,  to  the  poor,  and  to  wild  beasts,  every  seventh 
3'ear,  the  result  would  have  been  disastrous  ;  and  that  the  last 
clause  of  this  verse  is  the  mechanical  addition  of  a  scribe  who  did 
not  understand  agriculture. 

12.  Cf.  XX.  8-ir. 

the  son  of  thy  handmaid,  i.  e.  the  home- born  slave. 

14-19.  Cf.  xxxiv.  18-26,  which  repeats  most  of  these  verses, 
partly  in  the  same  words. 

14-17.  The  three  feasts  are  also  dealt  with  in  Lev.  xxiii  and 
Deut.  xvi,  with  additions.  If,  as  is  suggested  by  some,  the  latter 
part  of  verse  15  from  *  seven  da}  s '  onward  is  a  later  addition,  the 
three  feasts  here  are  purely  agricultural.     There  is  nothing  here 


192  EXODUS  23.  15-18.     E 

15  year.  The  feast  of  unleavened  bread  shalt  thou  keep  t 
seven  days  thou  shalt  eat  unleavened  bread,  as  I  com- 
manded thee,  at  the  time  appointed  in  the  month  Abib 
(for  in  it  thou  camest  out  from  Egypt) ;  and  none  shall 

16  appear  before  me  empty :  and  the  feast  of  harvest,  the 
firstfruits  of  thy  labours,  which  thou  sowest  in  the  field : 
and  the  feast  of  ingathering,  at  the  end  of  the  year,  when 

17  thou  gatherest  in  thy  labours  out  of  the  field.  Three 
times  in  the  year  all  thy  males  shall  appear  before  the 
Lord  God. 

18  Thou  shalt  not  offer  the  blood  of  my  sacrifice  with 
leavened  bread ;  neither  shall  the  fat  of  my  feast  remain 


to  indicate  that  these  feasts  were  to  be  held  on  fixed  dates,  or  at  the 
same  time  by  all  Israelites.  Such  uniformity  belongs  to  the  later 
codes,  which  were  more  interested  in  exact  ritual  than  in  practical 
utility.  Probably  in  earlier  times  the  harvest  and  vintage  feasts 
were  celebrated  at  the  local  shrines,  at  times  suitable  to  the  needs 
of  each  district. 

15.  See  on  xii.  15,  xiii.  6. 

16.  The  feast  of  liarvest,  in  xxxiv.  22;  Deut.  xvi.  9  the 
'feast  of  weeks';  in  Lev.  xxiii  no  name  is  given  to  it.  The 
^  feast  of  weeks '  in  later  times  was  called  Pentecost ;  cf.  on 
Lev.  xxiii. 

the  firstfruits,  &c. ;  i.  e.  at  which  the  firstfruits  are  to  be 
offered. 

the  feast  of  ingfathering*,  i.  e.  the  Vintage  Feast,  as  in  Judges 
xxi.  19  ff.  In  Lev.  xxiii.  34  ;  Deut.  xvi.  13,  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles 
or  Booths. 

at  the  end  of  the  year.     See  on  xii.  a. 

17.  the  liord  QOD  ;  i.e.  'the  Lord  Yahweh.'  God  is  put 
instead  of  the  usual  Lord,  to  avoid  repetition  ;  cf.  on  Gen.  xv.  2. 
The  Septuagint  and  Syriac  have  *  the  Lord  thy  God.' 

18.  This,  like  the  corresponding  verse  xxxiv.  25,  may  refer 
to  the  Passover.  In  Lev.  ii.  11  the  offering  of  leaven  is  entirely 
forbidden;  it  appears,  however,  from  Lev.  vii.  13,  xxiii.  17; 
Amos  iv.  5  that  in  ancient  Israel  leaven  was  sometimes  used  in 
sacrifices  ;  cf.  on  xii.  15.  According  to  Robertson  Smith,  Rel.  of 
the  Semites,  p.  221,  a  similar  rule,  that  fat  or  flesh  must  not  be  left 
till  the  morning,  is  found  in  connexion  with  certain  Saracen 
sacrifices  ;    the  idea  being  that  the  efficacy  of  the  sacrifice  lay 


EXODUS  23.  19,  20.     E  193 

all  night  until  the  morning.     The  first  of  the  firstfruits  of  19 
thy  ground  thou  shalt  bring  into  the  house  of  the  Lord 
thy  God.     Thou  shalt  not  seethe  a  kid  in  its  mother's 
milk. 

Behold,  I  send  an  angel  before  thee,  to  keep  thee  by  20 


in  the  living  flesh  and  blood  of  the  victim,  and  that  everything 
must  be  done  to  avoid  putrefaction.  It  seems  natural,  too,  tliat 
putrefaction  sliould  be  avoided  as  a  form  of  ceremonial  un- 
cleanness. 

19.  The  first  of  the  firstfruits,  rather,  '  the  choicest ' ;  cf, 
xxii.  29. 

Thou  shalt  not  seethe  a  kid  iu  its  mother's  milk. 
Robertson  Smith,  in  the  passage  referred  to  above,  suggests  that 
some  form  of  sacrifice  is  in  the  writer's  mind,  and  that  the  milk 
would  be  sour  and  partake  of  the  nature  of  leaven,  so  that  the 
sacrifice  would  be  unacceptable.  But  he  considers  that  the  pro- 
hibition is  more  probably  directed  against  some  form  of  heathen 
superstition.    Some  peoples  reckoned  milk  as  equivalent  to  blood. 

xxiii.  20-33.  Concluding  Exhortation. 

20  (E).  Yahweh  will  send  His^  angel  before  Israel  to  give 
them  possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan. 

21-23  (E  R).  If  Israel  is  obedient  the  angel  will  drive  out  the 
present  inhabitants. 

24-27  (R  .  Israel  must  not  worship  the  gods  of  Canaan,  but 
only  Yahweh  ;  then  shall  it  be  blessed,  and  its  enemies  be 
discomfited. 

28  (E).  Yahweh  will  send  hornets  to  drive  out  the  inhabitants 
of  Canaan. 

29-30  (E).  He  will  only  drive  them  out  gradually,  as  Israel  is 
able  to  take  their  place,  lest  the  wild  beasts  increase. 

31-33  (E  D),  Israel  is  to  occupy  the  land  from  the  Red  Sea 
to  the  Mediterranean,  and  from  the  wilderness  south  of  Palestine 
to  the  Euphrates.  Israel  must  not  worship  the  gods  of  Canaan, 
lest  they  be  a  snare  ;  nor  must  Israel  make  any  covenant  with  the 
Canaanites,  nor  suffer  them  to  live  in  their  midst. 

20.  an  angfel.  Read  with  Septuagint,  Vulgate,  and  the 
Samaritan  text,  and  verse  23,  '  My  angel,'  i.  e.  the  Malakh  Yahweh 
or  Divine  Manifestation.  Yahweh  Himself  remains  at  His 
Dwelling  Place  on  Sinai ;  cf.  iii.  2,  xxxiii.  2. 

^  See  note  on  verse  20. 
O 


194  EXODUS  23.  2  1-28.     ERE 

the  way,  and  to  bring  thee  into  the  place  which  I  have 

21  prepared.  Take  ye  heed  of  him,  and  hearken  unto  his 
voice ;  ^  provoke  him  not :  for  he  will  not  pardon  your 

22  transgression ;  for  my  name  is  in  him.  But  if  thou  shalt 
indeed  hearken  unto  his  voice,  and  do  all  that  I  speak ; 
then  I  will  be  an  enemy  unto  thine  enemies,  and  an 

23  adversary  unto  thine  adversaries.  [R]  For  mine  angel 
shall  go  before  thee,  and  bring  thee  in  unto  the  Amorite, 
and  the  Hittite,  and  the  Perizzite,  and  the  Canaanite, 
the  Hivite,  and  the  Jebusite :  and  I  will  cut  them  off. 

24  Thou  shalt  not  bow  down  to  their  gods,  nor  serve  them, 
nor  do  after  their  works  :  but  thou  shalt  utterly  overthrow 

25  them,  and  break  in  pieces  their  ^  pillars.  And  ye  shall 
serve  the  Lord  your  God,  and  he  shall  bless  thy  bread, 
and  thy  water ;   and  I  will  take  sickness  away  from  the 

26  midst  of  thee.  There  shall  none  cast  her  young,  nor  be 
barren,  in  thy  land :  the  number  of  thy  days  I  will  fulfil. 

27  I  will  send  my  terror  before  thee,  and  will  discomfit  all  the 
people  to  whom  thou  shalt  come,  and  I  will  make  all  thine 

28  enemies  turn  their  backs  unto  thee.     [E]  And  I  will  send 

'^  Or,  be  not  rebellious  against  hitn 

^Or,  obelisks     See  Lev.  xxvi.  i,  2  Kings  iii.  2. 

the  place,  Canaan. 

21.  my  name  is  in  him.  All  the  effective  Divine  powers  and 
faculties  are  there,  as  if  Yahweh  Himself  were  present;  cf  on 
iii.  isff. 

22.  I  speak.     Yahweh  identifies  Himself  with  the  angel. 

23.  CL  iii.  17. 

24.  pillars.  The  '  pillar'  or  maffebha  was  an  upright  stone  or 
monolith,  regarded  as  a  sacred  object,  forming  or  attached  to  a 
sanctuary.  These  'pillars'  were  regarded  as  legitimate  in  ancient 
Israel,  and  were  erected,  according  to  the  older  documents,  by 
Jacob  at  Bethel,  Gen.  xxviii.  18-22  (which  see),  and  Moses  at  Sinai, 
xxiv.  4.  They  became  associated  with  objectionable  superstitions, 
and  were  condemned  by  the  Deuteronomic  writers,  Deut.  vii.  5. 

26.  cast  her  youngr  may  be  used  here  of  miscarriage  either  in 
women  or  animals. 


EXODUS  23.  29-31.     E  D  195 

the  hornet  before  thee,  which  shall  drive  out  the  Hivite, 
the  Canaanite,  and  the  Hittite,  from  before  thee.     I  will  29 
not  drive  them  out  from  before  thee  in  one  year ;  lest  the 
land  become  desolate,  and  the  beast  of  the  field  multiply 
against  thee.     By  little  and  little  I  will  drive  them  out  .^o 
from  before  thee,  until  thou  be  increased,  and  inherit  the 
land.     And  I  will  set  thy  border  from  the  Red  Sea  even  31 
unto  the  sea  of  the  Philistines,  and  from  the  wilderness 
unto  "•  the  River  :  [D]  for  I  will  deliver  the  inhabitants  of 
*  That  is,  the  Euphrates. 

28.  the  hornet,  collective  for  '  hornets.'  This  feature  of  the 
Conquest  is  mentioned  elsewhere.  In  Deut.  vii.  20  the  hornet  is 
sent  to  dispose  of  the  scattered  fugitives  who  had  hidden  them- 
selves in  ravines  and  caves,  where  it  would  be  difficult  to  find 
them;  of.  Isa.  vii.  18 f.  According  to  Joshua  xxiv.  12  the  hornet 
drove  out  Sihon  and  Og  ;  and  in  Wisdom  xii.  8  the  hornets  were 
sent  as  forerunners  of  the  Israelite  armies.  Secular  traditions 
are  quoted  of  tribes  being  driven  out  of  their  homes  by  wasps, 
frogs,  mice,  and  other  vermin  ;  and  districts  of  South  Africa  are 
said  to  be  rendered  uninhabitable  by  the  Tsetse  fly.  The  '  hornet* 
here  is  not  figurative,  but  a  fragmentary  reminiscence  of  an 
otherwise  lost  tradition. 

the  Hivite,  the  Canaanite,  and  the  Hittite.     This  list  of 
three  nations  is  unique  ;  cf.  verse  23. 

29.  lest  the  land  become  desolate.  In  Judges  ii.  3  a  portion 
of  the  old  inhabitants  are  left  to  be  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  Israel, 
and  that  their  gods  may  be  a  snare  ;  in  Judges  ii.  21  f.  they  are  left 
as  a  spiritual  discipline  to  Israel;  and  in  Judges  iii.  i  that  they  may 
afford  the  Israelites  an  opportunity  of  militarj'  training.  Evidently 
the  failure  of  Yahweh  to  make  a  clean  sweep  of  the  Canaanites 
vcr3'  much  exercised  the  minds  of  the  Jewish  writers. 

30.  By  little  and  little  I  will  drive  them  out.  Wisdom  xii.  10 
explains  that  this  gradual  process  was  intended  to  give  the 
Canaanites  an  opportunitj'  for  repentance. 

31.  Red  Sea.     Cf.  x.  19;  here  perhaps  the  Gulf  of  Akaba. 
sea  of  the  Philistines,  the  Mediterranean,  so  called  here 

only  ;  the  limit  given  thus  includes  the  Philistine  territory  in 
Israel.  The  frontier  is  usually  said  to  reach  to  the  land  of  the 
Philistines,  which  is  thus  excluded  from  the  Israelite  dominion, 
I  Kings  iv.  21.     For  the  Philistines  see  xiii.  17. 

the  wilderness,  to  the  south  of  Palestine. 

the  River,  as  marg.,  the  Euphrates.    The  Israelite  frontier  is 

O    2 


196  EXODUS  23.  32—24.  I.     D  J  R  J 

the  land  into  your  hand ;  and  thou  shalt  drive  them  out 
32  before  thee.  Thou  shalt  make  no  covenant  with  them, 
Zl  nor  with  their  gods.     They  shall  not  dwell  in  thy  land, 

lest  they  make  thee  sin  against  me :  for  if  thou  serve  their 

gods,  it  will  surely  be  a  snare  unto  thee. 
24      [J]  And    he   said   unto   Moses,   Come   up   unto   the 

Lord,  thou,  [R]  and  Aaron,  Nadab,  and  Abihu,  [J]  and 


said  to  have  extended  to  the  Euphrates  under  David  and  Solomon, 
2  Sam.  X.  16,  19 ;  i  Kings  iv.  21  ;  cf.  i  Chron.  v.  9. 

xxiv.  The  Covenant. 

I,  2  (J  R).  Yahweh  bids  Moses  with  certain  companions  to  go 
up  to  worship  ;  Moses  alone  is  to  approach  the  Divine  Presence. 

3-8  (E).  Moses  reports  to  the  people  the  ordinances  of 
Yahweh,  and  writes  them  in  a  book.  The  people  enter  into  a 
covenant  to  observe  them. 

9-11  (J  R).  Moses  and  his  companions  go  up  ana  see  the  God 
of  Israel,  and  make  a  covenant  with  Him  by  a  sacramental  meal. 

12-14  (E).  Moses  and  Joshua  go  up  into  the  mountain,  leaving 
Aaron  and  Hur  in  charge  of  the  people. 

15-18  a  (P).     Moses  goes  up  into  the  mountain. 

18  h  (E).     Moses  remains  forty  days  in  the  mountain. 

Sources,  &c.  Composite  authorship  is  indicated  by  the  repeti- 
tions as  to  Moses  going  up.  Also  verse  9  is  clearly  the  continua- 
tion of  verse  2  ;  verses  3-8  interrupt  the  connexion.  The  origin 
of  T,  2,  9-1 1  is  very  doubtful ;  they  are  sometimes  ascribed  to  an 
early  document  used  by  E,  and  often  denoted  by  E  ^  As  to  '  the 
words  .  .  .  the  judgements,'  see  pp.  167  f. 

1,  2.  It  is  suggested  that  ^  Aaron,  Nadab,  and  Abihu'  is  a  later 
addition.  The  ease  with  which  such  additions  were  made  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  the  Samaritan  text  further  adds  '  Eleazar 
and  Ithamar,'  the  other  two  sons  of  Aaron.  The  words  '  afar  off' 
and  the  whole  of  verse  2  are  also  an  addition ;  they  are  inconsistent 
with  9,  10,  in  which  the  seventy  elders  see  God.  Further,  the 
'  worship  ^^  afar  off'  as  addressed  to  Moses  is  out  of  place,  as 
Moses  is  to  draw  near.  The  Septuagint  has  accordingly  altered 
these  words  to  '  and  let  them  worship  afar  off.' 

Thus  the  original  form  of  this  part  of  the  J  narrative  was  : — 
'And  he  said  unto  Moses,  Come  up  unto  Yahweh,  thou  and 
seventy  of  the  elders  of  Israel,  and  worship.' 

Come  up.     In  xix.  25,  J,  Moses  went  down. 


EXODUS  24.  2-S.     R  E  197 

seventy  of  the  elders  of  Israel ;  and  worship  ye  [R]  afar 
off:  and  Moses  alone  shall  come  near  unto  the  Lord;  2 
but  they  shall  not  come  near ;  neither  shall  the  people  go 
up  with  him.     [E]  And  Moses  came  and  told  the  people  3 
all  the  words  of  the  Lord,  and  all  the  judgements  :  and 
all  the  people  answered  with  one  voice,  and  said,  All  the 
t\'ords  which  the  Lord  hath  spoken  will  we  do.     And  4 
Moses  wrote  all  the  words  of  the  Lord,  and  rose  up 
early  in  the  morning,  and  builded  an  altar  under  the 
mount,  and  twelve  pillars,  according  to  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel.     And  he  sent  young  men  of  the  children  of  5 
Israel,  which  offered  burnt  offerings,  and  sacrificed  peace 
offerings  of  oxen  unto  the  Lord.     And  Moses  took  half  ^ 
of  the  blood,  and  put  it  in  basons  ;  and  half  of  the  blood 
he  sprinkled  on  the  altar.     And  he  took  the  book  of  the  7 
covenant,  and  read  in  the  audience  of  the  people :  and 
they  said,  All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  will  we  do,  and 
be  obedient.     And  Moses  took  the  blood,  and  sprinkled  8 
it  on  the  people,  and  said,  Behold  the  blood  of  the 


Nadab  and  Abihu.  See  on  vi.  23,  only  in  P  or,  as  here,  in 
late  additions  based  on  P. 

the  elders  of  Israel  are  prominent  elsewhere  in  J,  e.  g. 
iii.  16. 

3.  the  words  .  .  .  the  judgfements,  the  contents  of  the  Book  of 
the  Covenant.  As  the  rest  of  the  section  only  refers  to  'the 
words,'  the  phrase  *  and  all  the  judgements'  may  have  been  added 
when  'the  judgements'  were  transferred  to  this  stage  of  the 
narrative.     See  pp.  167  f. 

4.  pillars.     See  on  xxiii.  24. 

5.  young'  men.  E  knows  nothing  of  Aaron  and  his  family  as 
official  priests. 

burnt  offeringrs  .  .  .  peace  offering's.     See  on  x.  25,  xx.  24. 

6-8.  The  sprinkling  of  the  blood  on  the  altar  and  the  people 
symbolized  the  establishment  of  a  blood-bond  between  them  and 
Yahweh,  upon  condition  of  the  observance  of  'the  words  of 
Yahweh.' 

8.  the  blood,  the  half  reserved  in  the  basins,  verse  6. 


198  EXODUS  24.  9-16.     E  J  R  J  E  P 

covenant,  which  the  Lord  hath  made  with  you  ^con- 

9  cerning    all    these    words.     [J]  Then    went    up    Moses, 

[R]  and  Aaron,  Nadab,  and  Abihu,  [J]  and  seventy  of  the 

10  elders  of  Israel :  and  they  saw  the  God  of  Israel ;  and 
there  was  under  his  feet  as  it  were  ^a  paved  work  of 
sapphire  stone,  and  as  it  were  the  very  heaven  for  clear- 

1 1  ness.  And  upon  the  nobles  of  the  children  of  Israel  he 
laid  not  his  hand  :  and  they  beheld  God,  and  did  eat  and 
drink. 

12  [E]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Come  up  to  me 
into  the  mount,  and  be  there  :  and  I  will  give  thee  the 
tables  of  stone,  and  the  law  and  the  commandment,  which 

13  I  have  written,  that  thou  mayest  teach  them.  And  Moses 
rose  up,  and  Joshua  his  minister :  and  Moses  went  up 

14  into  the  mount  of  God.  And  he  said  unto  the  elders. 
Tarry  ye  here  for  us,  until  we  come  again  unto  you  :  and, 
behold,  Aaron  and  Hur  are  with  you  :  whosoever  hath  a 

15  cause,  let  him  come  near  unto  them.  And  Moses  went 
up  into  the  mount,  and  the  cloud  covered  the  mount. 

16  [P]  And  the  glory  of  the  Lord  abode  upon  mount  Sinai, 

*0r,  itpOH  all  these  condiiions         ^Or,  work  of  bright  sapphire 

9.  Aaron,  Nadab,  and  Abihu,  an  addition  ;  see  on  verse  i. 

10.  Cf.  Ezek.  i.  26. 

11.  he  laid  not  his  hand.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  the 
sight  of  God  would  have  been  fatal ;  cf.  Gen.  xvi.  13. 

did   eat   and   drink,    a   sacrificial    meal,    of    a    sacramental 
character,  implying  a  covenant. 

12.  the  tables  of  stone.  E  does  not  mention  their  number  ; 
according  to  P,  xxxi.  18,  there  were  two. 

and  the  law  and  the  commandment,  the  contents  of  the 
tables— unless  this  clause  is  an  addition  ;   cf.  on  verse  18. 

13.  Joshua.     See  xvii.  g. 

14.  Aaron  and  Hur.     See  xvii.  10. 

15.  This  verse  continues,  'had  pitched  in  the  wilderness/  P,  in 
xix.  2  ;  though  there  may  also  be  fragments  of  P  in  the  intervening 
sections. 

16.  the  glory  of  the  LORD.     See  on  xvi.  7. 


EXODUS  24,  17—25.  3.     PEP  199 

and  the  cloud  covered  it  six  days :  and  the  seventh  day 
he  called  unto  Moses  out  of  the  midst  of  the  cloud.  And  ^7 
the  appearance  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord  was  like  de- 
vouring fire  on  the  top  of  the  mount  in  the  eyes  of  the 
children  of  Israel.  And  Moses  entered  into  the  midst  18 
of  the  cloud,  and  went  up  into  the  mount:  [E]  and  Moses 
was  in  the  mount  forty  days  and  forty  nights. 

[P]  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Speak  25 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  take  for  me  an 
^  offering :  of  every  man  whose  heart  maketh  him  willing 
ye  shall  take  my  ^  offering.     And  this  is  the  ^  offering  3 
which  ye  shall  take  of  them ;  gold,  and  silver,  and  brass  ; 
*Or,  heave  offering 


xxv-xxxi.  DIRECTIONS  AS  TO  THE  TABERNACLE  : 

ITS  Furniture,  Ritual,  and  Priesthood. 

These  chapters  are  a  section  of  the  main  body  of  the  Priestly 
Code  with  various  additions.  They  may  be  partl}'^  based  on  older 
documents.  Cf.  Introduction,  pp.  6L  and  Appendix  II  on  the 
Tabernacle  and  its  Furniture.  The  carrying  out  of  these  directions 
is  given  as  far  as  possible  in  the  same  words  in  xxxiv.  29— xxxix, 
and  Lev.  viii. 

XXV.  1-9.  The  Collection. 

1-7.  Yahweh  bids  Moses  collect  from  the  Israelites  freewill 
offerings. 

8,  9.  From  these  Moses  is  to  construct  a  sanctuary  according 
to  the  pattern  which  Yahweh  will  show  him. 

2.  ofrering*,  marg.  heave  offeringf.  The  Hebrew  word  teruyiid 
is  from  a  root  rum,  denoting  'rise'  or  'raise.'  It  used  to  be 
explained  as  an  offering  raised  as  a  symbol  of  presentation  to 
God,  but  it  is  more  probably  an  offering  lifted  off  or  separated 
from  something  else  ;  it  is  used  of  a  portion  of  a  sacrifice  given  to 
the  priest.  Lev.  vii.  14;  of  firstfruits,  &c.,  Num.  xv.  19-21;  of  the 
portion  of  the  land  of  Israel  dedicated  to  God,  Ezek.  xlv.  1-7,  &c. 
The  word  is  chiefly  used  in  the  Priestly  Code  and  in  Esckiel, 
occasionally  in  Deuferoitomy,  but  not  earlier.  It  occurs  in  the 
present  text  of  2  Sam.  i.  21,  '  fields  of  offerings,' but  probablj' only 
through  corruption  of  the  text. 

3.  brass,  rather,  '  copper '  or  *  bronze.' 


200  EXODUS  25.  4-io.     P 

4  and  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  ^  fine  linen,  and 

5  goats'  hair;  and  rams'  skins  dyed  red,  and  ^^  sealskins,  and 

6  acacia  wood ;  oil  for  the  light,  spices  for  the  anointing 

7  oil,  and  for  the  sweet  incense  ;  ^  onyx  stones,  and  stones 

8  to  be  set,  for  the  ephod,  and  for  the  breastplate.  And 
let  them  make  me  a  sanctuary ;  that  I  may  dwell  among 

9  them.  According  to  all  that  I  shew  thee,  the  pattern  of 
the  <^  tabernacle,  and  the  pattern  of  all  the  furniture  thereof, 
even  so  shall  ye  make  it. 

10      And  they  shall  make  an  ark  of  acacia  wood  :  two  cubits 

*  Or,  cotton  ^  Or,  porpoise- skins 

^  Or,  beryl  '^W.€b.  dwelling. 


4.  blue,  perhaps  rather  'violet.' 

purple,  a  reddish  purple.  As  the  list  goes  on  to  cotton-stuff 
or  linen,  and  goats'  hair,  it  appears  that  here  'blue,  purple,  and 
scarlet '  stand  for  stuffs  d3'^ed  with  these  colours. 

5.  sealskins,  marg.  porpoise-skins.  The  meaning  of  the  word 
tahash  thus  translated  is  quite  uncertain.  The  A.  V.  has  '  badgers' 
skins';  the  skin  of  the  dugong  or  sea-cow  has  also  been  suggested. 
The  badger  is  found  in  Palestine  ;  seals  and  dugongs  are  in  the 
Red  Sea ;  porpoises  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  may  have  been 
taken  in  the  Red  Sea.  A  similar  word  in  Egyptian  means 
'leather,'  and  possibly  our  tahash  is  borrowed  from  the  Egyptian 
and  has  that  meaning.  The  word  is  only  found  in  the  Priestly 
Code. 

According  to  a  Jewish  tradition  in  the  Talmud,  the  tahash  was 
a  kind  of  unicorn  which  specially  appeared  to  Moses  for  this 
purpose  and  then  disappeared  {Ency.  BibL). 

acacia  wood,  A.  V.  *  shittim-wood ' ;  only  in  the  Priestly  Code, 
and  Deut.  x.  3,  Isa.  xli.  ig,  a  light,  strong  wood. 

7.  onyx,  shoham,  a  precious  stone  not  certainly  identified  ;  cf. 
Gen.  ii.  12. 

ephod:  see  xxviii.  4  ff. 
breastplate :  see  xxviii.  15  ff. 

8.  that  I  may  dv/ell  among  them.  Yahweh  needs  a  house  for 
this  purpose. 

XXV.  10-22.  The  Ark. 

10-15.  Moses  is  to  make  a  sacred  chest, 
16.   and  put  in  it  the  two  tables  of  the  law. 


EXODUS  25.  11-14.     P 

and  a  half  shall  be  the  length  thereof,  and  a  cubit  and  a 
half  the  breadth  thereof,  and  a  cubit  and  a  half  the  height 
thereof.     And  thou  shalt  overlay  it  with  pure  gold,  within  1 1 
and  without  shalt  thou  overlay  it,  and  shalt  make  upon 
it  a  a  crown  of  gold  round  about.     And  thou  shalt  cast  12 
four  rings  of  gold  for  it,  and  put  them  in  the  four  feet 
thereof ;  and  two  rings  shall  be  on  the  one  ^  side  of  it, 
and  two  rings  on  the  other  ^side  of  it.     And  thou  shalt  ^3 
make  staves  of  acacia  wood,  and  overlay  them  with  gold. 
And  thou  shalt  put  the  staves  into  the  rings  on  the  sides  14 

*  Or,  rim     Or,  moulding  ^  Heb.  rib. 

17-21.  He  is  also  to  make  a  covering  for  the  chest,  with  two 
cherubim. 

22.  This  shall  be  the  place  where  Yahweh  will  meet  with 
Israel. 

10.  they  shall  make,  the  context  shows  that  the  Samaritan 
text  and  the  Septuagint  are  right  in  reading  'thou  shalt  make.' 

ark,  or  chest,  'dron,  also  used  for  a  money-box,  2  Kings  xii. 
10,  and  for  Joseph's  coffin,  Gen.  I.  26,  but  usually  for  this  sacred 
chest.  For  'ark'  in  Noah's  Ark  and  the  ark  in  the  bulrushes  the 
word  is  ieb/id.  All  the  references  to  the  Ark  show  that  it  was 
regarded  as  specially  sacred,  in  older  times  the  representative,  as 
it  were,  of  Yahweh.  Thus  it  is  carried  into  battle  as  a  talisman. 
Apart  from  the  doubtful  2  Chron.  xxxv.  3,  the  Ark  disappears 
from  history  when  it  is  placed  in  Solomon's  Temple,  i  Kings  viii. 
21.  It  was  lost  or  fell  to  pieces  some  time  before  the  Exile,  and 
a  prophetic  oracle,  Jer.  iii.  16,  forbade  the  construction  of  a 
substitute.  Ps.  cxxxii.  8  seems  to  express  the  hope  that  God 
would  in  some  way  replace  it.  For  the  possible  connexion 
between  the  Ark,  'dron,  and  Aaron,  'Aharon,  see  on  iv.  14. 

The  Egyptian  monuments  constantly  depict  sacred  boats  bearing 
a  shrine  which  contained  the  figure  of  the  god.  These  were 
carried  in  processions.  Erman,  Life  in  Ancient  Egypt,  p.  276, 
reproduces  one  of  these  pictures,  which  shows  two  winged  figures 
within  the  shrine.  The  Babylonian  gods  were  also  carried  about 
in  coffers. 

cul)it,  about  eighteen  inches. 

11.  crown,  marg.  rim  or  moulding' ;  apparently  some  kind  of 
decoration  running  round  the  top  of  the  Ark.  The  word,  zer,  only 
occurs  in  the  Priestly  sections  of  Exodus  in  reference  to  the  Ark 
and  the  Altar  of  Incense. 


202  EXODUS  25.  15-19,     P 

15  of  the  ark,  to  bear  the  ark  withal.  The  staves  shall  be  in 
the  rings  of  the  ark :  they  shall  not  be  taken  from  it. 

16  And  thou  shalt  put  into  the  ark  the  testimony  which  I 

1 7  shall  give  thee.  And  thou  shalt  make  a  ^  mercy-seat  of 
pure  gold  :    two  cubits  and  a  half  sM//  he  the  length 

1 8  thereof,  and  a  cubit  and  a  half  the  breadth  thereof.  And 
thou  shalt  make  two  cherubim  of  gold ;  of  ^beaten  work 
shalt  thou  make  them,  at  the  two  ends  of  the  mercy-seat. 

19  And  make  one  cherub  at  the  one  end,  and  one  cherub 
at  the  other  end  :  c  of  one  piece  with  the  mercy-seat  shall 

^Or,  covering        ^  Or,  turned        *^  Heb.  out  of  the  mercy-seat. 


16.  the  testimony,  the  two  tables  of  stone,  as  testifying  to 
Israel  the  will  of  God  ;  cf.  xxxi.  18. 

\*J.  mercy-seat,  Hebrew  kapporeth,  from  the  root  KPR,  which 
is  constantly  used  of  atoning  for  sin.  Hence  the  rendering  '  mercy- 
seat,'  which  is  further  supported  by  the  fact  that  the  culminating 
rite  of  the  Day  of  Atonement  was  the  sprinkling  of  the  kapporeth 
with  blood.  Lev.  xvi.  14  fF.  Thus  the  Septuagint  usually,  though 
not  here,  renders  hilasterion,  '  the  propitiatory,'  so  Heb.  ix.  5  ; 
similarly  the  Vulgate,  propiiiatorium.  The  '  seat '  is  not  justified 
by  the  etymology  of  kapporeth.  but  is  suggested  by  verse  22  and 
similar  passages,  e.g.  i  Sam.  iv.  4,  '  Yahweh  (^^ebaoth  that  sitteth 
upon  (or,  *  dwelleth  between ')  the  Cherubim.' 

The  rendering  of  the  marg.  'covering'  is  obtained  from  the 
supposed  original  sense  of  KPR,  '  to  cover,'  and  is  supported  by 
the  position  of  the  kapporeth,  which  the  Septuagint  here  renders 
*  cover,'  epithenia.  It  is  doubtful  whether  KPR  is  ever  used  in 
the  sense  of  'cover'  in  the  O.  T,  and  even  whether  this  was  its 
original  meaning. 

18.  cherubim,  i.  e.  Cherubs,  the  Hebrew  plural  form.  The 
Cherubim  were  originally  mythical  beings,  perhaps  personifying 
the  thunderclouds.  Here  they  are  symbolical  or  decorative 
figures,  and  may  have  been  suggested  by  the  colossal  winged  bulls 
with  human  faces  found  in  Assyria.  The  meaning  of  the  Cherubim 
here  is  doubtful,  but  they  may  symbolize  the  heavenly  court  of 
Yahweh,  or,  as  we  should  say,  the  angels.  See  further  on  Gen.  iii. 
24,  Ezek.  i, 

heaten  (marg.  turned)  work,  miqshd,  only  in  the  Priestly 
Code  of  the  Cherubim,  the  lamp-stand,  and  the  trumpets. 

19.  of  one  piece  with  the  mercy-seat,  lit.,  as  marg.,  out  of  the 


EXODUS  25.  20-25.     P  203 

ye  make  the  cherubim  on  the  two  ends  thereof.     And  20 
the   cherubim    shall   spread   out   their   wings   on    high, 
covering  the  mercy-seat  with  their  wings,  with  their  faces 
one  to  another ;  toward  the  mercy-seat  shall  the  faces  of 
the  cherubim  be.     And  thou  shalt  put  the  mercy-seat  21 
above  upon  the  ark ;  and  in  the  ark  thou  shalt  put  the 
testimony  that  I  shall  give  thee.     And  there  I  will  meet  22 
with  thee,  and  I  will  commune  with  thee  from  above  the 
mercy-seat,  from  between  the  two  cherubim  which  are 
upon  the  ark  of  the  testimony,  of  all  things  which  I  will 
give  thee  in  commandment  unto  the  children  of  Israel. 

And  thou  shalt  make  a  table  of  acacia  wood :    two  23 
cubits  shall  be  the  length  thereof,  and  a  cubit  the  breadth 
thereof,  and  a  cubit  and  a  half  the  height  thereof.     And  24 
thou  shalt  overlay  it  w^ith  pure  gold,  and  make  thereto  a 
"  crown  of  gold  round  about.     And  thou  shalt  make  unto  25 
it  a  border  of  an  handbreadth  round  about,  and  thou 

^  See  ver.  11. 

mercy-seat.     The  meaning  probably  is  that  the  Cherubim  were 
to  be  fixed  to  the  two  ends  of  the  kapporeth. 

20.  on  high,  rather,  'above.'  The  wings  of  the  Cherubim  veil 
the  Divine  Presence. 

XXV.  23-30.  The  Table  of  the  Shewbread. 

23-28.  Moses  is  to  make  a  table  of  acacia-wood,  overlaid  with 
gold. 

29,  30.  He  is  to  make  for  it  golden  dishes,  spoons,  flagons,  and 
bowls,  and  the^  shewbread  is  always  to  be  displayed  upon  it ;  cf. 
Num.  iv.  7. 

23.  a  table,  corresponding  to  the  '  altar  of  cedar-wood  overlaid 
with  gold,'  R.  V.  marg.  in  i  Kings  vi,  20,  and  the  wooden  altar- 
table  in  Ezek.  xli.  22.  The  panel  of  the  Arch  of  Titus,  showing  the 
spoils  taken  from  the  Temple,  depicts  a  table  whose  dimensions 
correspond  roughly  to  the  specifications  here.  See  illustration  on 
p.  205.    An  altar-table  figures  in  the  Assyrian  sculptures. 

24.  crown:  see  verse  11. 

25.  a  border,  misgereth,  from  a  root  SGR,  to  '  shut  up,  hold  in,' 
used  in  this  sense  only  here  and  in  connexion  with  the  bases  of 


204  EXODUS   25.  26-31.    P 

shalt  make  a  golden  crown  to  the  border  thereof  round 

26  about.  And  thou  shalt  make  for  it  four  rings  of  gold, 
and  put  the  rings  in  the  four  corners  that  are  on  the  four 

27  feet  thereof.     Close  by  the  border  shall  the  rings  be,  for 

28  places  for  the  staves  to  bear  the  table.  And  thou  shalt  make 
the  staves  of  acacia  wood,  and  overlay  them  with  gold,  that 

29  the  table  may  be  borne  with  them.  And  thou  shalt 
make  the  dishes  thereof,  and  the  spoons  thereof,  and  the 
flagons  thereof,  and  the  bowls  thereof,  to  pour  out  withal : 

30  of  pure  gold  shalt  thou  make  them.  And  thou  shalt  set 
upon  the  table  *  shewbread  before  me  alway. 

31  And  thou  shalt  make  a  candlestick  of  pure  gold :  of 

*0r,  Presence-bread 

the  *  seas'  in  Solomon's  Temple,  i  Kings  vii.  28,  &c.  According  to 
the  Arch  of  Titus,  it  would  seem  to  be  a  band  round  the  legs  of 
the  table,  about  half-way  up. 

27.  Close  by  tlie  border,  i.  e.  at  the  outer  angles  of  the  legs  or 
feet  where  the  '  border '  crossed  them. 

29.  to  pour  out  withal,  for  libations.  The  table  on  the  Arch 
of  Titus  bears  a  cup  and  a  bowl. 

30.  shewbread,  lit.  '  bread  of  the  face,'  i.  e.  as  marg.  *  Presence- 
bread,'  i.e.  bread  displayed  in  the  presence  of  God,  before  the 
Holy  of  Holies,  where  the  Ark  was.  This  bread  is  also  called 
'the  perpetual  bread'  or  'the  bread  set  in  order,'  i.e.  'the  row 
or  pile  of  bread,'  and  '  the  holy  bread.'  Under  the  latter  name 
it  is  mentioned  in  the  story  of  David,  i  Sam.  xxi.  5.  Doubtless  in 
early  times  bread  was  thus  presented  as  actual  food  for  the  deity ; 
but  here  its  meaning  is  akin  to  that  of  the  firstfruits — it  recognizes 
alike  that  the  produce  of  the  earth  is  God's  gift  to  man,  and  that  it 
should  be  used  by  man  in  God's  service. 

'  The  custom  of  placing  loaves  of  sweet  or  unleavened  bread  on 
tables  in  the  temples  seems  to  have  originated  among  the  Baby- 
lonians, by  whom  it  was  also  called.  Bread  of  the  Presence.^ — 
A.  R.  S.  Kennedy,  Cent.  Bible  on  i  Sam.  xxi.  4. 

XXV.  31-40.    The  Golden  Lampstand. 
31-36.  Moses  is  to  make  a  seven-branched  golden  lampstand, 
37,  38.  with  golden  lamps,  tongs,  and  snuffdishes. 

39.  The  whole  set  to  weigh  a  talent, 

40.  and  to  be  made  according  to  the  pattern  showed  to  Moses 
in  the  mount. 


EXODUS  25.  31 


205 


J-  >  (u  o 
to  u  ■" 

K  *,  rt  2 


2o6  EXODUS  25.  32-35.     P 

^  beaten  work  shall  the  candlestick  be  made,  even  its 
^  base,  and  its  shaft ;  its  cups,  its  knops,  and  its  flowers, 

32  shall  be  ^  of  one  piece  with  it :  and  there  shall  be  six 
branches  going  out  of  the  sides  thereof;  three  branches 
of  the  candlestick  out  of  the  one  side  thereof,  and  three 
branches  of  the  candlestick  out  of  the  other  side  thereof: 

33  three  cups  made  like  almond-blossoms  in  one  branch,  a 
knop  and  a  flower ;  and  three  cups  made  like  almond- 
blossoms  in  the  other  branch,  a  knop  and  a  flower :  so 

34  for  the  six  branches  going  out  of  the  candlestick  :  and  in 
the  candlestick  four  cups  made  like  almond-blossoms, 

35  the  knops  thereof,  and  the  flowers  thereof:  and  a  knop 
under  two  branches  ^of  one  piece  with  it,  and  a  knop 
under  two  branches  c  of  one  piece  with  it,  and  a  knop 
under  two  branches  ^of  one  piece  with  it,  for  the  six 

*  Or.  turned  ^  Heb.  thigh.  ^  Heb.  out  of  the  same. 


31.  candlestick,  rather,  'lampstand.*  The  Arch  of  Titus  (see 
verse  23)  shows  a  seven-branched  lampstand.  In  Solomon's 
Temple  there  were  ten  lampstands,  i  Kings  vii.  49,  and  in  Rev.  i. 
12  seven  lampstands. 

beaten  work.     See  on  verse  18. 

cups,  &c.     See  below. 

of  one  piece  witli  it.  Marg.  Heb.  out  of  the  same.  The 
meaning  probably  is  that  they  were  all  fixed  together  ;  there  were 
no  parts  which  could  be  detached  ;  cf.  verse  19, 

33.  cups,  cup-shaped  ornaments  placed  at  intervals  on  the 
branches  and  the  central  shaft.  Either  the  '  cup '  consisted  of  *  a 
knop  and  a  flower,'  or  these  latter  are  separate  ornaments,  con- 
nected with  the  cups. 

knop,  another  form  of  '  knob ' ;  according  to  the  Septuagint 
and  the  Vulgate  the  'knops'  were  spherical  ;  i.  e.  according  to  the 
picture  on  the  Arch  of  Titus  the  stems  were  enlarged  into  small 
spheres. 

35.  a  knop  under  two  branches,  i.e.  three  out  of  the  four 
knops  on  the  main  stem  were  at  the  points  where  two  branches 
struck  off. 

of  one  piece.     See  on  verse  31. 

it,  the  lampstand. 


EXODUS  25.  36—26.  I.     P  207 

branches  going  out  of  the  candlestick.     Their  knops  and  36 

their  branches  shall  be  ^  of  one  piece  with  it :  the  whole 

of  it  one  i' beaten  work  of  pure  gold.     And  thou  shalt  37 

make  the  lamps  thereof,  seven  :  and  they  shall  ^  light  the 

lamps  thereof,  to  give  light  over  against  it.     And  the  38 

tongs  thereof,  and  the  snuffdishes  thereof,  shall  be  of  pure 

gold.     Of  a  talent  of  pure  gold  shall  it  be  made,  with  all  39 

these  vessels.     And  see  that  thou  make  them  after  their  4° 

pattern,  which  hath  been  shewed  thee  in  the  mount. 

Moreover  thou  shalt  make  the  ^  tabernacle  with  ten  26 

^  Heb.  out  of  the  same.  ^  Or,  turned  '^  Or,  set  up 

^  See  ch.  xxv.  9. 

37.  to  give  ligrht  over  against  it,  i.  e,  to  light  the  Holy  Place, 
which  was  in  a  sense  opposite  the  lampstand,  if  the  latter  stood 
on  one  side  of  the  chamber,  xxvi.  35. 

38.  tongs,  rather,  '  snuffers  '  for  the  lamp-wicks. 
snuffdishes,    lit.    'fire-pans,'    here   perhaps   receptacles   for 

pieces  of  wick  removed  by  the  snuffers  ;  cf.  xxvii.  3. 

39.  a  talent  of  gold,  perhaps  about  io8  lb.  avoirdupois,  con- 
taining about  the  same  amount  of  metal  as  in  6,150  sovereigns  ;  but 
the  gold  would  purchase  much  more  corn  or  labour  than  £6,150 
would  purchase  now. 

Xxvi.    The  Dwelling. 

I- 14  Moses  is  to  construct  a 'dwelling,'  consisting  of  ten 
curtains  of  tapestry,  covered  by  a  tent  made  of  eleven  curtains  of 
goats'  hair  ;  and  the  tent  is  to  be  protected  by  coverings  of  rams' 
skins  and  seals' '  skins. 

15-28.  This  tent  is  to  be  supported  by  a  wooden  framework, 

29.  overlaid  with  gold. 

30.  The  whole  is  to  be  made  in  accordance  with  what  Moses 
has  been  shown  in  the  mount. 

31-34.  A  veil  is  to  be  made,  similar  to  the  curtains,  to  divide 
the  Dwelling  into  an  outer  chamber,  the  Holy  Place,  and  an 
inner  chamber,  the  Holy  of  Holies.  The  Ark  and  the  Kapporeth"^ 
are  to  be  put  in  the  Holy  of  Holies. 

35.  The  Table  for  the  Shewbread,  and  the  Lampstand  are  to  be 
put  in  the  Holy  Place. 

36  f.  A  screen  is  to  be  made  for  the  door  of  the  Tent,  similar  to 

'  Skins  of  the  tahash;  see  on  xxv.  5.  ^  See  xxv.  17. 


2o8  EXODUS  26.  2-6.     P 

curtains  ;  of  fine  twined  linen,  and  blue,  and  purple,  and 
scarlet,  with  cherubim  the  work  of  the  cunning  workman 

2  shalt  thou  make  them.  The  length  of  each  curtain  shall 
be  eight  and  twenty  cubits,  and  the  breadth  of  each 
curtain    four   cubits :    all   the   curtains    shall   have   one 

3  measure.  Five  curtains  shall  be  coupled  together  one  to 
another ;  and  the  other  five  curtains  shall  be  coupled  one 

4  to  another.  And  thou  shalt  make  loops  of  blue  upon  the 
edge  of  the  one  curtain  "-from  the  selvedge  in  the 
coupling;  and  likewise  shalt  thou  make  in  the  edge  of 
the  curtain   that  is  outmost  in  the  second  ^coupling. 

5  Fifty  loops  shalt  thou  make  in  the  one  curtain,  and  fifty 
loops  shalt  thou  make  in  the  edge  of  the  curtain  that  is 
in  the  second  ^  coupling  ;  the  loops  shall  be  opposite  one 

6  to  another.     And  thou  shalt  make  fifty  clasps  of  gold, 

^  Or,  that  is  outmost  in  the  first  set  ^  Or,  set 

the  curtains  and  the  veil,  and  is  to  be  supported  by  five  wooden 
pillars  overlaid  with  gold. 

1.  Cf.  XXV.  4. 
fine  twined  linen,  sometimes  explained  as  linen  woven  with 
blue,  purple,  and  scarlet  threads,  so  as  to  produce  the  figures  of 
cherubim  and  perhaps  other  patterns. 

cunning  workman,  '  artist,'  as  distinguished  from  an  ordinary 
weaver. 

2-4.  The  ten  curtains  are  to  be  arranged  in  two  sets  of  five. 
Each  five  are  to  be  fastened  together  permanently  lengthwise  so  as 
to  make  a  great  sheet  28  cubits  by  20  ;  these  two  sheets  were  to 
be  connected  by  loops  at  the  top  so  as  to  form  a  roof  for  the 
Dwelling  and  to  hang  down  the  sides  and  back  ;  they  were  looped 
together  along  the  twenty-eight  cubit  sides  so  that  together  they 
would  measure  forty  cubits  in  the  other  direction.  The  loops 
would  fasten  and  unfasten  when  the  Dwelling  was  put  together 
and  taken  to  pieces. 

4f.  The  general  sense  is  clear.  There  were  to  be  fifty  '  loops' 
along  the  edge  of  the  end  section  of  one  large  sheet ;  and  fifty 
'  loops '  at  corresponding  points  along  the  edge  of  the  end  section 
of  the  other  large  sheet.  The  exact  translation  is  doubtful,  as  is 
shown  by  the  variation  between  text  and  marg.  of  R.  V. 

6.  clasps.    As  there  is  only  one  clasp  to  each  pair  of  loops,  the 


EXODUS  26.  7-IO.     P  209 

and  couple  the  curtains  one  to  another  with  the  clasps : 
and  the  tabernacle  shall  be  one.     And  thou  shalt  make  7 
curtains  of  goats'  hair  for  a  tent  over  the  tabernacle : 
eleven  curtains  shalt  thou  make  them.     The  length  of  8 
each  curtain  shall  be  thirty  cubits,  and  the  breadth  of 
each  curtain  four  cubits  :  the  eleven  curtains  shall  have 
one  measure.     And  thou  shalt  couple  five  curtains  by  9 
themselves,  and  six  curtains  by  themselves,  and  shalt 
double  over  the  sixth  curtain  in  the  forefront  of  the  tent. 
And  thou  shalt  make  fifty  loops  on  the  edge  of  the  one  10 
curtain  that  is  outmost  in  the  ='  coupling,  and  fifty  loops 
upon  the  edge  of  the  curtain  which  is  outmost  hi  the 

^  Or,  first  set 

clasp  seems  to  have  had  a  hook  at  each  end,  one  for  each  loop, 
thus  C~~D.  This  seems  to  leave  a  long,  narrow  opening  at  the 
top,  though  it  would  be  possible  to  devise  a  shape  of  clasp  and  a 
position  of  the  loops  which  would  bring  the  edges  close  together. 
the  tabernacle,  rather,  'Dwelling,'  as  before.  Evidently,  to 
this  writer,  the  huge  tent-cloth  produced  by  joining  the  two  sheets 
is  the  essential  portion  of  the  Dwelling;  it  is  a  tent. 

7-13.  The  construction  and  arrangement,  and  the  words  of 
the  description,  of  the  goats'-hair  Tent  on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
Dwelling  of  tapestry  curtains  on  the  other,  are  largely  the  same. 
The  chief  differences  are  that  the  clasps  of  the  Tent  are  brass  ; 
that  the  dimensions  of  the  Tent  are  necessarily  somewhat  larger  ; 
and  that  there  is  an  extra  section  which  is  used  as  a  flap  to  partly 
cover  the  front  of  the  Dwelling. 

9.  Shalt  double  over  ...  in  the  forefront  of  the  tent.  This 
is  generally  explained  to  mean  that  half  of  the  extra  section  was 
doubled  back  over  the  front  end  of  the  top  of  the  Dwelling  so  as 
to  form  a  kind  of  ridge  ;  still  leaving  a  half-breadth  extra  to  hang 
over  at  the  back  according  to  verse  12.  Kennedy^,  however, 
suggests  that  the  whole  of  the  extra  curtain  was  to  hang  doubled 
over  the  upper  part  of  the  screen  at  the  front ;  thus  connecting  the 
top  of  the  screen  with  the  portion  of  the  Dwelling  serving  as  roof, 
and  securing  an  end  obviously  aimed  at,  namely,  that  of  excluding 
all  natural  light.  In  view  of  the  use  of  the  root  KPL,  *  double  '  in 
Aramaic,  we  might  perhaps  understand  this  clause  to  mean  '  thou 
shalt  fold  .  .  .  over  the  front,'  i.  e.  allow  the  whole  of  the  extra 

'  See  p.  37. 
P 


2IO  EXODUS  26.  11-15.     P 

11  second  '^coupling.  And  thou  shalt  make  fifty  clasps  of 
brass,  and  put  the  clasps  into  the  loops,  and  couple  the 

12  tent  together,  that  it  may  be  one.  And  the  overhanging 
part  that  remaineth  of  the  curtains  of  the  tent,  the  half 
curtain  that  remaineth,  shall  hang  over  the  back  of  the 

13  tabernacle.  And  the  cubit  on  the  one  side,  and  the 
cubit  on  the  other  side,  of  that  which  remaineth  in  the 
length  of  the  curtains  of  the  tent,  shall  hang  over  the 
sides  of  the  tabernacle  on  this  side  and  on  that  side,  to 

14  cover  it.  And  thou  shalt  make  a  covering  for  the  tent 
of  rams'  skins  dyed  red,  and  a  covering  of  ^  sealskins 
above. 

15  And  thou  shalt  make  the  boards  for  the  tabernacle  of 

"^Or,  sei  ^  Or,  porpoise-skins 

curtain  to  hang  down  over  the  front  ;  cf.  12,  13.  In  view  of  the 
difficulty  of  combining  the  statements  in  these  verses  with  the  rest 
of  the  description,  it  has  been  suggested  (Holzinger)  that  they  are 
a  later  addition  ;  an  explanatory  note  added  by  some  one  who 
had  been  working  out  the  previous  figures,  but  had  misunderstood 
them.  Of  the  three  views  given  in  verse  9.  the  first,  the  traditional 
view,  is  consistent  with  the  retention  of  verse  12,  Irom  which  it  is 
derived.     The  other  two  require  the  omissioi7  of  verse  12. 

12.  This  verse,  if  retained,  implies  some  such  view  as  the  first  of 
those  given  in  verse  9. 

13.  The  length  of  the  curtains  of  the  Dwelling,  28  cubits,  was 
2  cubits  less  than  the  length,  30  cubits,  of  the  curtains  of  the 
Tent.  The  annotator  tries  to  account  for  the  two  extra  cubits. 
He  may  mean  that  the  Tent  was  arranged  so  that  the  lower  ends 
on  each  side  projected  a  cubit  below  the  lower  ends  of  the  curtains 
of  the  Dwelling ;  but  it  is  possible  that  he  thought  of  the  latter  as 
laid  flat,  and  the  odd  cubits  of  Tent  hanging  down  over  their 
edges. 

15.  boards.  The  word  for  'board,'  qeresh,  is  only  used  of  the 
boards  of  the  Dwelling,  and  in  Ezek.  xxvii.  6  in  the  sentence 
'they  have  made  thy  benches  of  ivory  inlaid  in  boxwood,'  where 
the  original  of  'thy  benches,'  marg.  'thy  deck,'  is  'thy  qeresh.^ 
These  •  boards'  are  10  cubits  long  by  li,  cubits  broad,  i.  e.  nearly 
15  ft.  X  2|  ft.  * ;  the  thickness   is  not  given,  some  commentators 

*  Taking  the  cubit  to  be  the  shorter  cubit. 


EXODUS  26.  16-18.     P 


211 


acacia  wood,  standing  up.     Ten  cubits  shall  be  the  length  16 
of  a  board,  and  a  cubit  and  a  half  the  breadth  of  each 
board.     Two  tenons  shall  there  be  in  each  board,  '''joined  17 
one  to  another :  thus  shalt  thou  make  for  all  the  boards 
of  the  tabernacle.     And  thou  shalt  make  the  boards  for  i8 
the  tabernacle,  twenty  boards  for  the  south  side  south- 

'^  Or,  morticed 


have  deduced  from  the  other  dimensions  that  the  thickness  was 

a  cubit,  cf.  on  verses  22  ff.  ;  but  the  absence  of  any  stated  figure 

suggests  that   this  dimension  was  some  ordinary 

one,  on  a  much  smaller  scale.     Still,  the  thickness 

must    have   been    substantial,    seeing    that    these 

upright  boards  had  to  carry  four  heavy  tent-cloths, 

and  that  the  distances  between  the  pillars  were 

ten  and   twenty  cubits.     It   is  doubtful  whether 

such  boards  could  be  cut  from  the  *  acacia '  or  any 

tree    which    can    be    meant    by  the  shittim-tree. 

Some  have  suggested  that  each  *  board '  was  made 

of  two  or  three  narrower  planks  fastened  together. 

Kennedy  maintains  that  the  qeresh  was  a  frame,  in 

Ezek.  xxvii.  6  a  panel.     These  frames  would  be 

much  lighter  to  handle  and  carrj' ;    they  would 

naturally  be  made  of  a  number  of  comparatively 

small  planks,  and  they  would  allow  the  tapestry 

curtains  to  be  seen   through   them,  if  the  latter 

were    hanging    in    their    natural    place    over   the 

wooden  framework.     Cf.  also  on  the  verse  17  and 

Appendix  II. 

16.  Ten  cubits.   This  gives  the  inside  height  of 
the  Dwelling. 

17.  tenons,  lit.  'hands'  or  'handles,'  i.e.  pegs 
to  fit  into  the  sockets  of  verse  19. 

joined  one  to  another.  If  we  take  Kennedy's 
view  that  the  qeresh  was  a  frame  like  an  elongated  H,  with 
crosspieces  at  the  top  and  bottom,  as  well  as  the  middle,  the  two 
pegs  would  continue  the  two  sides  of  the  frame,  and  be  joined 
together  by  the  lowest  crosspiece. 

18.  twenty  boards.     This  gives  the  length  of  the  Dwelling, 
i.  e.  20  X  1  ^  =  30  cubits. 

for  the  south  side  southward.  The  Hebrew  is  two 
synonyms  each  of  which  means  'southward,'  as  if  we  should  say 
'eastern  Oriental.'     One  of  them  is  an  addition  to  explain   the 


Frame  and 
ITS  Bases. 


P  2 


212  EXODUS  26.  19-24.     P 

19  ward.  And  thou  shalt  make  forty  sockets  of  silver  under 
the  twenty  boards ;  two  sockets  under  one  board  for  its 
two  tenons,  and  two  sockets  under  another  board  for  its 

20  two  tenons :  and  for  the  second  side  of  the  tabernacle, 

21  on  the  north  side,  twenty  boards  :  and  their  forty  sockets 
of  silver ;  two  sockets  under  one  board,  and  two  sockets 

22  under  another  board.     And  for  the  hinder  part  of  the 

23  tabernacle  westward  thou  shalt  make  six  boards.  And 
two   boards   shalt   thou   make   for   the  corners   of  the 

24  tabernacle  in  the  hinder  part.  And  they  shall  be  double 
beneath,  and  in  like  manner  they  shall  be  entire  unto  the 

other.  These  terms  imply  that  the  Dwelling  was  to  face  due 
East ;  cf.  verses  20,  22. 

22.  six  boards,  nine  cubits  . .  .  25.  eight  boards,  twelve  cubits. 
It  is  generally  held  that  the  breadth  of  the  Dwelling  was  equal  to 
the  height,  ten  cubits  (verse  16),  and  so  a  third  of  the  length,  which 
was  thirty  cubits  (verse  18),  so  that  the  Holy  of  Holies  was  an 
exact  cube,  ten  cubits  each  way  (verse  33).  If  so  the  two  corner 
'  boards '  must  have  been,  to  the  extent  of  a  cubit  each,  against 
the  ends  of  the  *  boards '  of  the  long  sides,  which  must  therefore 
have  been  a  cubit  thick,  cf.  on  verse  15  ;  unless  we  can  find  some 
interpretation  of  verse  24  (which  see)  which  will  otherwise  dispose 
of  the  superfluous  cubits. 

These  calculations  follow  the  usual  view  that  the  30,  10,  and  10 
are  inside  measurements.  Kennedy  maintains  that  they  are 
outside  measurements  ;  he  understands  the  corner  frames  to  be 
used  as  outside  buttresses,  and  the  thickness  of  the  other  frames 
with  the  bars  to  be  half  a  cubit,  nine  inches.  Cf.  dd  cic,  in  illus- 
tration, p.  285.  The  present  writer  is  inclined  to  reject  views 
which  make  the  thickness  a  cubit  or  half  a  cubit ;   cf.  verse  15. 

24.  This  verse  is  very  difficult.  There  is  no  approach  to 
agreement  as  to  how  it  should  be  interpreted  or  emended.  We 
have  mentioned  Kennedy's  explanation  that  the  corner  'boards' 
or  frames  were  a  kind  of  buttress.  It  would  be  useless  to 
quote  any  full  explanation  of  the  verse,  because  any  such  would 
need  to  be  further  explained  at  greater  length  than  is  possible 
here,  unless  the  reader  finds  commentaries  much  more  lucid  than 
the  present  writer  does. 

Practically  we  may  assume  that  it  is  intended  that  extra  support 
should  be  provided  at  the  two  corners,  to  correspond  to  the  pillars 
supporting  the  Veil  and  the  Screen. 


EXODUS   2G.  25-31.     P  213 

top  thereof  unto  ^  one  ring :  thus  shall  it  be  for  them 
both  ;  they  shall  "be  for  the  two  corners.     And  there  shall  25 
be  eight   boards,   and    their   sockets   of  silver,    sixteen 
sockets ;  two  sockets  under  one  board,  and  two  sockets 
under  another   board.     And   thou  shalt  make  bars  of  26 
acacia  wood ;  five  for  the  boards  of  the  one  side  of  the 
tabernacle,  and  five  bars  for  the  boards  of  the  other  side  27 
of  the  tabernacle,  and  five  bars  for  the  boards  of  the  side 
of  the  tabernacle,  for  the  hinder  part  westward.     And  28 
the  middle  bar  in  the  midst  of  the  boards  shall  pass 
through  from  end  to  end.     And  thou  shalt  overlay  the  29 
boards  with  gold,  and  make  their  rings  of  gold  for  places 
for  the  bars  :  and  thou  shalt  overlay  the  bars  with  gold. 
And  thou  shalt  rear  up  the  tabernacle  according  to  the  30 
fashion  thereof  which  hath   been  shewed   thee  in  the 
mount. 

And  thou  shalt  make  a  veil  of  blue,  and  purple,  and  31 

»0r,  the  first 

ringf.  See  verse  29. 
26-29.  Five  horizontal  bars  are  to  be  fastened  to  the  *  boards ' 
to  strengthen  the  wooden  framework.  No  dimensions  are  given, 
except  that  the  middle  bar  is  to  run  from  end  to  end.  These  bars 
pass  through  golden  rings  on  the  boards.  Verse  28  applies  to  the 
two  sides  and  the  back  ;  and  if  we  adopt  approximate  figures  to 
avoid  the  question  of  outside  and  inside  measurements,  there 
would  be  two  bars  thirty  cubits  long  and  one  bar  ten  cubits  long. 
Nothing  is  said  about  the  length  or  position  of  the  other  bars.  A 
favourite  theory  is  that  each  of  them  was  half  the  length  of  the 
middle  bar ;  that  two  were  placed  along  the  top,  forming  a  con- 
tinuous row,  and  two  along  the  bottom  similarly,  thus  giving  three 
rows,  e.  g. 


It  is  difficult  to  imagine  why  the  Priestly  author  should  have  used 
the  language  he  does,  if  he  intended  such  an  arrangement. 

30.  This  pattern  would  supply  the  omissions  and  explain  the 
obscurities  of  the  oral  specifications. 

31.  Cf.  XXV.  4. 

veil,  or  *  curtain.'    The  Hebrew  word, /)rtro^fM,  is  only  used  of 


214  EXODUS    26.  32-37.     P 

scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen  :  with  cherubim  the  work 

32  of  the  cunning  workman  shall  it  be  made  :  and  thou  shalt 
hang  it  upon  four  pillars  of  acacia  overlaid  with  gold, 
their  hooks  shall  be  of  gold,  upon  four  sockets  of  silver. 

33  And  thou  shalt  hang  up  the  veil  under  the  clasps,  and 
shalt  bring  in  thither  within  the  veil  the  ark  of  the 
testimony  :  and  the  veil  shall  divide  unto  you  between 

34  the  holy  place  and  the  most  holy.  And  thou  shalt  put 
the  mercy-seat  upon  the  ark  of  the  testimony  in  the  most 

35  holy  place.  And  thou  shalt  set  the  table  without  the  veil, 
and  the  candlestick  over  against  the  table  on  the  side  of 
the  tabernacle  toward  the  south :  and  thou  shalt  put  the 

36  table  on  the  north  side.  And  thou  shalt  make  a  screen 
for  the  door  of  the  Tent,  of  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet, 

37  and  fine  twined  linen,  the  work  of  the  embroiderer.     And 

this  curtain  and  the  corresponding  one  in  the  Temple.  It  means 
'that  which  shuts  off,'  and  is  connected  with  an  Assyrian  word 
parrakhi^  '  inner  shrine.'  No  dimensions  are  given  of  the  parokeih 
and  its  pillars ;  but  the  other  specifications  indicate  that  the 
pdroketh  was  10 x  to  cubits^  ;  and  the  pillars  ro  cubits  high.  The 
two  outer  pillars  would  touch  the  walls,  and  the  other  two  would 
be  equidistant  from  them  and  from  each  other,  thus  dividing  the 
breadth  into  three  equal  parts. 

33.  This  verse  gives  us  the  dimensions  of  the  Holy  Place  and 
the  Holy  of  Holies.  Between  the  clasps  and  the  front  of  the 
Dwelling  were  five  curtains,  each  4  cubits  broad,  so  that  this  portion 
of  the  wooden  structure,  the  Holy  Place,  was  20  cubits  long,  and 
the  inner  portion,  the  Holy  of  Holies,  10  cubits  long,  thus  making 
the  latter  an  exact  cube,  10  x  10  x  10  cubits  ;  cf.  on  verse  22. 

the  ark  of  tlie  testimony;   see  on  xxv.  10.  21. 
most  holy,  the  correct  translation,  lit.  as  in  A.  V.  '  Holy  of 
Holies  '  ;  for  '  holy '  see  on  iii.  5. 

34.  mercy-seat.     See  on  xxv.  17. 

35.  table  .  .  .  candlestick.     See  on  xxv.  23^  31. 

36.  37,  The  Screen.  Here  again  no  dimensions,  but  the  screen 
also  must  have  been  10  x  10  cubits^,  and  its  pillars  10  cubits  high. 

^  Questions  of  inside  and  outside  measurement  and  similar  matters 
being  ignored. 

*  Ignoring-  questions  of  inside  measurement.  &:c. 


EXODUS    27.  I,  2.     P  215 

thou  shalt  make  for  the  screen  five  pillars  of  acacia,  and 
overlay  them  with  gold ;  their  hooks  shall  be  of  gold : 
and  thou  shalt  cast  five  sockets  of  brass  for  them. 

And  thou  shalt  make  the  altar  of  acacia  wood,  five  27 
cubits  long,  and  five  cubits  broad ;    the  altar  shall  be 
foursquare  :  and  the  height  thereof  shall  be  three  cubits. 
And  thou  shalt  make  the  horns  of  it  upon  the  four  corners  2 


The  two  outer  pillars  would  continue  the  two  walls,  and  the  other 
three  would  be  equidistant  from  them  and  from  each  other,  thus 
dividing  the  breadth  into  four  equal  parts,  thus  : — 


Note  that  there  are  no  cherubim  on  the  screen,  and  its  sockets  are 
only  brass ;  although  its  pillars  and  hooks  are  overlaid  with  gold. 

xxvii.  1-8.     The  Altar  for  Sacrifice  ;  cf.  xxxviii.  1-7. 

1-3.   Moses  is  to  make  an  altar  of  acacia-wood  overlaid  with 
brass  ;  this  altar  is  to  be  five  cubits  square  and  three  cubits  high  ; 


Altar  of  Burn'T-offering.    (From  Hastings's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.) 

it  is  to  have  horns,  and  is  to  be  provided  with  the  necessary 
utensils  of  brass. 

4-7.  The  altar  is  to  have  a  brazen  grating,  and  is  to  be  provided 
with  staves  by  which  it  may  be  carried. 

8.  It  is  to  be  made  according  to  the  pattern  sliown  to  Moses  in 
the  Mount. 

1.  The  size  of  the  altar  and  the  list  of  its  utensils  show  that  it 
was  for  sacrifices.  It  is  questioned  whether  a  wooden  structure 
overlaid  with  bronze  would  long  endure  the  heat  of  the  sacrificial 
fires  which  would  be  constantly  kindled  on  it. 

2.  horns,  pointed  projections. 


2i6  EXODUS    27.  3-9.     P 

thereof:  the  horns  thereof  shall  be  of  one  piece  with  it : 

3  and  thou  shalt  overlay  it  with  brass.  And  thou  shalt 
make  its  pots  to  take  away  its  ashes,  and  its  shovels,  and 
its  basons,  and  its  fleshhooks,  and  its  firepans :  all  the 

4  vessels  thereof  thou  shalt  make  of  brass.  And  thou  shalt 
make  for  it  a  grating  of  network  of  brass ;  and  upon  the 
net  shalt  thou  make  four  brasen  rings  in  the  four  ''^corners 

5  thereof.  And  thou  shalt  put  it  under  the  ledge  round 
the  altar  beneath,  that  the  net  may  reach  halfway  up  the 

6  altar.     And  thou  shalt  make  staves  for  the  altar,  staves 

7  of  acacia  wood,  and  overlay  them  with  brass.  And  the 
staves  thereof  shall  be  put  into  the  rings,  and  the  staves 
shall  be  upon  the  two  ^^  sides  of  the  altar,  in  bearing  it. 

8  Hollow  with  planks  shalt  thou  make  it :  as  it  hath  been 
shewed  thee  in  the  mount,  so  shall  they  make  it. 

9  And  thou  shalt  make  the  court  of  the  tabernacle  :  for 
the  south  side  southward  there  shall  be  hangings  for  the 

°-  Heb.  ends.  ^  Heb.  ribs. 


of  one  piece.     See  on  xxv.  31. 
4  f.  a  grating-  of  network  of  brass  . . .  under  the  ledg-e.     The 

ledge  was  probably  a  band  of  metal  running  round  the  middle  of 
the  altar  ;  in  this  band  the  rings  were  fixed  for  the  carr3'ing  staves. 
Above  the  ledge  the  altar  v^ras  entirely  overlaid  with  bronze  ;  the 
lower  half  was  only  covered  with  a  grating. 

xxvii.  9-19.     The  Court  of  the  Dwelling  ;  cf.  xxxviii.  9-20. 

9-18.  The  Court  of  the  Dwelling  is  to  be  100  cubits  by  50.  It 
is  to  be  enclosed  by  linen  curtains  5  cubits  high,  supported  on 
brass  pillars  in  brazen  sockets,  with  silver  hooks  and  fillets ; 
twenty  pillars  for  each  of  the  longer  sides  and  ten  pillars  for 
the  back. 

The  Court,  like  the  Dwelling  itself,  faces  East,  the  gate  being 
in  the  eastern  side.  The  gate  is  closed  by  a  screen,  twenty 
cubits  broad,  supported  on  four  pillars.  On  each  side  of  the  gate 
are  curtains  for  fifteen  cubits  supported  on  three  pillars. 

All  the  tools,  &c.,  used  in  handling  the  Dwelling  are  to  be  brass. 


EXODUS    27.  10-17.     P  2x7 

court  of  fine  twined  linen  an  hundred  cubits  long  for  one 
side :  and  the  pillars  thereof  shall  be  twenty,  and  their  10 
sockets  twenty,  of  brass ;    the  hooks  of  the  pillars  and 
their  fillets  shall  be  of  silver.     And  likewise  for  the  north  n 
side  in  length  there  shall  be  hangings  an  hundred  cubits 
long,  and  the  pillars  thereof  twenty,  and  their  sockets 
twenty,  of  brass ;  the  hooks  of  the  pillars  and  their  fillets 
of  silver.     And  for  the  breadth  of  the  court  on  the  west  12 
side  shall  be  hangings  of  fifty  cubits  :   their  pillars  ten, 
and  their  sockets  ten.     And  the  breadth  of  the  court  on  13 
the  east  side  eastward  shall  be  fifty  cubits.     The  hangings  14 
for  the  one  side  of  the  gate  shall  be  fifteen  cubits  :  their 
pillars  three,  and  their  sockets  three.     And  for  the  other  15 
side  shall  be  hangings  of  fifteen  cubits  :    their   pillars 
three,  and  their  sockets  three.     And  for  the  gate  of  the  16 
court  shall  be  a  screen  of  twenty  cubits,  of  blue,  and 
purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen,  the  work  of  the 
embroiderer :   their  pillars  four,  and  their  sockets  four. 
All  the  pillars  of  the  court  round  about  shall  be  filleted  17 
with  silver ;  their  hooks  of  silver,  and  their  sockets  of  brass. 

9.  fine  twined  linen.     See  on  xxvi.  31. 

10.  pillars,  about  five  cubits  high,  verse  18. 

11.  fillets,  lit.  'clasps'  or  'binders,'  only  used  in  the  account 
of  the  Dwelling,  often  explained  as  rods  connecting  the  pillars  and 
supporting  the  curtains  ;  but  probably  bands  in  which  were  fixed 
the  hooks  on  which  the  curtains  were  hung. 

12.  The  author  does  not  seem  to  take  into  account  the  fact 
that  some  of  the  pillars  would  be  corner  pillars  ;  and  does  not 
make  it  clear  whether  these  corner  pillars  were  to  count  twice 
over,  or  what  arrangement  was  intended. 

14.  A  similar  difficulty  arises  here.  The  intention  of  the 
description  is  that  the  pillars  should  be  five  cubits  apart.  This 
would  either  give  five  pillars  to  the  '  gate '  if  the  two  end  pillars 
are  reckoned  to  the  gate,  or  three  pillars  if  they  are  reckoned  to 
the  side  curtains. 

16.  The  material  of  this  screen  is  similar  to  that  at  the  door  of 
the  Tent. 


2i8  EXODUS  27.  i8-ai.     P  S 

i8  The  length  of  the  court  shall  be  an  hundred  cubits, 
and  the  breadth  fifty  every  where,  and  the  height  five 
cubits,  of  fine  twined  linen,  and  their  sockets  of  brass. 

19  All  the  instruments  of  the  tabernacle  in  all  the  service 
thereof,  and  all  the  pins  thereof,  and  all  the  pins  of  the 
court,  shall  be  of  brass. 

20  [S]  And  thou  shalt  command  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  they  bring  unto  thee  pure  olive  oil  beaten  for  the 

21  light,  ^  to  cause  a  lamp  to  burn  continually.  In  the  ^  tent 
of  meeting,  without  the  veil  which  is  before  the  testimony, 
Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  order  it  from  evening  to  morning 
before  the  Lord  :  it  shall  be  a  c  statute  for  ever  through- 
out their  generations  ^^  on  the  behalf  of  the  children  of 
Israel. 

^  Or,  to  set  up  a  lamp  continually 

''See  ch.  xxv.  22,  xxix.  42,  xxx.  36.       *^  Or,  due      ^  Or,  from 

19.  the  instruments  of  the  tabernacle,  perhaps  the  tools 
used  in  setting  it  up  and  taking  it  down. 

pins,  tent-pegs  to  which  were  fastened  the  cords  which  held 
the  pillars  upright  and  kept  the  curtains  in  their  places  ;  no  details 
as  to  these  '  pins '  are  given. 

xxvii.  20,  21.     The  Oil  for  the  Lamp. 

20,  21  (S).  Oil  is  to  be  provided  for  the  lamp  in  the  Holy  Place, 
that  it  may  be  always  burning  through  the  night. 

Sources,  &c.  No  account  of  the  fulfilling  of  this  command  is 
given  in  chapters  xxxv-xl.  It  is  repeated  in  Lev.  xxiv.  1-3, 
and  has  probably  been  introduced  here  from  Leviticus.  It  is 
premature  to  deal  with  the  oil  here,  as  the  priests  who  are  to  use 
it  are  not  yet  equipped  or  consecrated, 

20.  beaten,  i.  e.  beaten  out  of  the  olives,  which  were  pounded 
in  a  mortar. 

20,  21.  continually  .  .  .  from  evenings  to  morning.  In  view 
of  the  common  practice  of  keeping  a  light  or  fire  burning  always, 
night  and  day,  in  a  sanctuary,  we  should  naturally  understand 
'continually'  in  this  sense  if  it  stood  alone.  On  the  other  hand, 
'from  evening  to  morning'  would  naturally  mean  by  night  only. 
In  I  Sam.  iii.  3  the  lamp  is  put  out  when  the  priests  go  to  bed. 

21.  tent  of  meeting.     See  xxv.  2a, 
tOBtlmony.     See  xxv.  16. 


EXODUS  28.  1-4.     P  219 

[P]  And  bring  thou  near  unto  thee  Aaron  thy  brother,  28 
and  his  sons  with  him,  from  among  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  he  may  minister  unto  me  in  the  priest's  office,  even 
Aaron.  Nadab  and  Abihu,  Eleazar  and  Ithamar,  Aaron's 
sons.     And  thou  shalt  make  holy  garments  for  Aaron  thy  2 
brother,  for  glory  and  for  beauty.     And  thou  shalt  speak  3 
unto  all  that  are  wise  hearted,  whom  I  have  filled  with 
the  spirit  of  wisdom,  that  they  make  Aaron's  garments 
to  sanctify  him,  that  he  may  minister  unto  me  in  the  priest's 
office.     And  these  are  the  garments  which  they   shall  4 
make  ;  a  breastplate,  and  an  ephod,  and  a  robe,  and  a 

xxviii.     The  Priestly  Vestments  ;  cf.  xxxix.  1-31. 

I.  Aaron  and  his  sons  are  to  be  priests. 

2-5.  Aaron  is  to  be  arrayed  in  the  following  vestments  and 
ornaments. 

6-12.  An  embroidered  linen  Ephod  with  the  names  of  the 
Twelve  Sons  of  Israel,  engraved  on  two  precious  stones. 

13-30.  With  which  is  to  be  connected  a  Breastplate  of  similar 
material  set  with  twelve  precious  stones,  and  containing  the 
Uyitn  and  Thumnihn. 

31-35.  The  Ephod  is  to  be  worn  upon  a  blue  robe,  with  a 
fringe  of  golden  bells  and  pomegranates. 

36-38.  Also  a  Turban  with  a  plate  of  gold,  inscribed  '  Holy  to 
Yahweh.' 

39-43.  Other  necessary  articles  of  clothing. 

1.  Cf.  vi.  23. 

2.  holy  g-arments  .  .  .  for  gflory  and  for  beauty,  sacred  vest- 
ments ...  to  contribute  to  the  splendour  and  dignity  of  the  public 
worship  of  Yahweh. 

3.  wise  hearted  .  .  .  filled  with  the  spirit  of  wisdom,  clever, 
.  .  .  endowed  with  practical  skill.  The  'heart'  in  Hebrew  is 
often,  as  here,  the  intellect.  Inspired  wisdom  may  be  manifested 
in  the  practical  skill  of  the  handicraftsman. 

to  sanctiftr  him,  to  consecrate  him  for  the  priestly  office  by 
clothing  him  with  distinctive  garments,  &c.,  d^c.  ;  cf.  xxix. 

4.  breastplate.     See  on  verses  15-29. 
ephod.     See  on  verses  6-12. 

robe.     See  on  verses  31-35. 


220  EXODUS  28.  5-8.     P 

coat  of  chequer  work,  a  ^  mitre,  and  a  girdle  :  and  they 
shall  make  holy  garments  for  Aaron  thy  brother,  and  his 
sons,  that  he  may  minister  unto  me  in  the  priest's  office. 

5  And  they  shall  take  ^  the  gold,  and  the  blue,  and  the 
purple,  and  the  scarlet,  and  the  fine  linen. 

6  And  they  shall  make  the  ephod  of  gold,  of  blue,  and 
purple,,  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen,  the  work  of  the 

7  cunning   workman.     It   shall   have   two   shoulderpieces 
joined  to  the  two  ends  thereof;  that  it  may  be  joined 

8  together.    And  the  cunningly  woven  band,  which  is  upon 

■^  Or,  /urban  ^  See  ch.  xxv.  3. 

a  coat  of  chequer  work,  a  mitre,  and  a  girdle.     See  on 

verse  39. 

5.  Cf.  xxv.  3.  4. 

6.  eplxod,  a  word  of  uncertain  origin,  used  in  two  distinct 
senses — (a)  as  an  image  or  some  part  of  the  equipment  of  an 
image,  (6)  as  a  priestly  vestment.  Thus  Gideon,  Judges  viii.  27, 
makes  a  golden  ephod  which  is  an  object  of  worship,  and  Micah, 
Judges  xvii.  5,  &c.,  makes  an  ephod  for  his  temple.  On  the 
other  hand,  Samuel,  i  Sam.  ii.  18,  wears  a  linen  ephod.  The  con- 
nexion between  the  two  uses  is  sometimes  explained  thus  : — The 
ephods  made  by  Gideon,  Micah,  &c.,  were  clothing  for  the  image, 
so  that  the  priests  in  wearing  an  ephod  w^ere  wearing  the  garment 
of  the  god.  The  description  of  the  ephod  here  is  obscure,  and  we 
cannot  be  sure  as  to  the  exact  shape  of  the  vestment.  It  con- 
sisted of  two  'shoulder-pieces,'  ket/iep/ioth,  and  a  '  cunningly  woven 
band,'  heshebh  ^aphuddd,  rather  'the  girdle,'  or  'band  of  the 
ephod.'  The  use  of  these  words  elsewhere  does  not  throw  any 
further  light  on  the  subject.  The  ephod  seems  to  have  been 
a  kind  of  'ornamental  waistcoat'  (Driver,  DB.).  or  sash,  sup- 
ported by  two  shoulder-straps  or  braces.  Another  view  is  that 
the  band  of  the  ephod  covered  the  breast  rather  than  the  waist. 
The  'robe'  has  also  been  regarded  as  part  of  the  ephod.  It  is 
also  possible  that  the  writer  assumes  that  the  reader  knows  what 
an  ephod  is,  and  only  specifies  special  features  :  cf.  verses  7  and  8. 

The  ordinary  priestly  ephod  in  pre-exilic  times  was  probably 
much  simpler. 

cunning'  workman.     See  on  xxvi.  i. 

7.  the  two  ends  thereof.  '  Thereof  apparently  means  'of  the 
ephod.' 

8.  upon  it,  •  upon  the  ephod.' 


EXODUS  28.  9-14.     P  221 

it,  to  gird  it  on  withal,  shall  be  like  the  work  thereof  atid 
of  the  same  piece  ;   of  gold,  of  blue,  and  purple,  and 
scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen.     And  thou  shalt  take  two  9 
^  onyx  stones,  and  grave  on  them  the  names  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel :  six  of  their  names  on  the  one  stone,  and  10 
the  names  of  tlie  six  that  remain  on  the  other  stone, 
according  to  their  birth.     With  the  work  of  an  engraver  u 
in  stone,  like  the  engravings  of  a  signet,  shalt  thou  engrave 
the  two  stones,  according  to  the  names  of  the  children  of 
Israel :  thou  shalt  make  them  to  be  inclosed  in  ouches  of 
gold.     And  thou  shalt   put   the  two  stones    upon    the  12 
shoulderpieces  of  the  ephod,  to  be  stones  of  memorial 
for  the  children  of  Israel :  and  Aaron  shall    bear  their 
names  before  the  Lord  upon   his   two  shoulders  for  a 
memorial. 

And  thou  shalt  make  ouches  of  gold  :  and  two  chains  i3)  14 

^  Or,  beryl 


of  the  same  piece  :  cf.  on  xxv.  35. 

9.  the  children  of  Israel,  rather,  'the  sons  of  Israel,'  i.e.  the 
Twelve  Tribes  ;  cf.  verse  21. 

9-12.  These  verses  may  be  a  later  addition  ;  cf.  25,  30. 

10.  according*  to  their  birth,  in  order  of  seniority. 

11.  ouches,  Elizabethan  English  for  a  clasp  or  similar  orna- 
ment. The  Hebrew  word  means  a  network,  serving  as  a  setting 
for  the  onyx  stones. 

12.  memorial.  The  presence  of  Aaron  bearing  these  stones 
engraved  with  the  twelve  names  would  recall  the  tribes  to  the 
memory  of  Yahweh  ;  cf.  verces  11,  29. 

13-30.  Much  of  the  description  of  the  hoshen^  or  'breastplate,' 
is  obscure,  especially  the  account  of  how  it  was  fastened  to  the 
Ephod.  The  confusion  seems  to  arise  partly  from  the  incorpora- 
tion into  the  text  of  notes,  e.  g.  verses  26-28,  which  were 
intended  to  elucidate  it.  The  Septuagint  has  a  different  text ;  it 
omits  25a,  26-28.  and  has  another  version  of  24,  thus  eliminating 
the  rings  altogether.  Probably  these  rings  did  not  figure  in  the 
original  description. 

The  actual  Jwsheii  was  a  bag  about  9  in.  square,  containing  the 


222  EXODUS  28.  15-22.     P 

of  pure  gold  ;  like  cords  shalt  thou  make  them,  of 
wreathen  work  :  and  thou  shalt  put  the  wreathen  chains  on 

15  the  ouches.  And  thou  shalt  make  a  breastplate  of  judge- 
ment, the  work  of  the  cunning  workman  ;  Hke  the  work  of 
the  ephod  thou  shalt  make  it ;  of  gold,  of  blue,  and 
purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen,  shalt  thou  make 

16  it.     Foursquare  it  shall  be  and  double  ;  a  span  shall  be 

17  the  length  thereof,  and  a  span  the  breadth  thereof.  And 
thou  shalt  set  in  it  settings  of  stones,  four  rows  of  stones  : 
a  row  of'^sardius,  topaz^  and  ^^  carbuncle  shall  be  the  first 

18  row  ;  and  the  second  row  an  c  emerald,  a  sapphire,  and  a 

19  fl diamond;  and  the  third  row  a  « jacinth,  an  agate,  and 

20  an  amethyst ;  and  the  fourth  row  a  ^  beryl,  and  an  sonyx, 
and  a  jasper:    they  shall  be  inclosed  in  gold  in  their 

21  settings.  And  the  stones  shall  be  according  to  the  names 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  twelve,  according  to  their  names  ; 
like  the  engravings  of  a  signet,  every  one  according  to  his 

3  2  name,  they  shall  be  for  the  twelve  tribes.  And  thou 
shalt  make  upon  the  breastplate  chains  like  cords,  of 

^Ov^niby  ^Ox^  emerald         '^  Or ,  cat-bunde 

'^  Or.  sardonyx  *  Or,  amber  ^Or,  chalcedony 

^  Or,  beryl 

Urim  and  Thummim,  and  bearing  in  front  twelve  stones  engraved 
with  the  names  of  the  Twelve  Tribes.  Somewhat  similar  tablets, 
serving  as  amulets  or  oracles,  are  seen  in  monuments  of  Egyptian 
and  Babylonian  priests  and  kings. 

13,  14.  These  chains  and  'ouches'  must  be  intended  for  the 
Itoshcn.  In  the  original  form  of  the  description  these  two  verses 
must  have  come  further  on  ;  cf.  verses  22  and  25. 

15.  breastplate  of  judgement.     See  on  verse  16. 

16.  double,  so  as  to  form  a  bag. 
span,  a  half- cubit,  about  nine  inches. 

17-20.  Of  these  precious  stones,  the  *  sardius,'  'carbuncle.' 
'  emerald,'  *  diamond,'  and  '  beryl '  occur  in  Ezek.  xxviii.  13.  Cf. 
the  twelve  precious  stones  in  Rev.  xxi.  19 f.,  also  14. 

21.  obildren  of  Israel  .  .  .  twelve  tribes:  cf.  verse  9. 
eveiry  one  acoording  to  his  name.    On  each  stone  the  name 
of  one  tribe  was  to  be  engraved. 


EXODUS  28.  23-28.     P  S  223 

wreathen  work  of  pure  gold.     And  thou  shalt  make  upon  23 
the  breastplate  two  rings  of  gold,  and  shalt  put  the  two 
rings  on  the  two  ends  of  the  breastplate.     And  thou  shalt  24 
put  the  two  wreathen  chains  of  gold  on  the  two  rings  at 
the  ends  of  the  breastplate.     And  the  other  two  ends  of  25 
the  two  wreathen  chains  thou  shalt  put  on  the  two  ouches, 
and  put  them   on  the  shoulderpieces  of  the  ephod,  in 
ihe  forepart  thereof.     [S]  And  thou  shalt  make  two  rings  26 
of  gold,  and  thou  shalt  put  them  upon  the  two  ends  of 
the  breastplate^  upon  the  edge  thereof,  which  is  toward 
the  side  of  the  ephod  inward.     And  thou  shalt  make  two  27 
rings  of  gold,  and  shalt  put  them  on  the  two  shoulder- 
pieces  of  the  ephod  underneath,  in  the  forepart  thereof, 
close  by  the  coupling  thereof,  above  the  cunningly  woven 
band  of  the  ephod.     And  they  shall  bind  the  breastplate  28 
by  the  rings  thereof  unto  the  rings  of  the  ephod  with 


22.  Cf.  14. 

23-25.  Probably  verse  23and  thereference  to  the  rings  in  verse  24 
should  be  omitted.  It  seems  impossible  to  combine  the  various  refer- 
ences to  rings  with  each  other,  and  with  the  rest  of  the  account  of 
the  hoshen  and  the  Ephod.  If  we  omit  the  rings,  then  we  can  under- 
stand that  the  two  chains  were  fastened  to  the  upper  corners 
of  the  hoshen  and  to  '  ouches '  on  the  *  shoulder-pieces  '  of  the 
Ephod. 

25.  ouches.  These  'ouches'  are  probably  different  from  those 
holding  the  engraved  onyx  stones  in  verse  9.  The  latter  may  not 
have  figured  in  the  original  description  ;  they  appear  to  be  super- 
fluous, seeing  that  the  names  of  the  tribes  were  presented  on  the 
hoshen.     Cf.  also  verse  27. 

26.  This  verse  repeats  verse  23. 

27.  28.  Here,  however,  the  rings  are  dealt  with  differently 
from  verse  23  f.  The  annotator  either  misunderstood  the  former 
passage,  or  intended  to  supply  a  second  couple  of  rings  to  fasten 
the  bottom  of  the  hoshen  to  the  band  of  the  Ephod. 

27.  nnderneatii,  in  the  forepart  thereof,  close  hy  the  coup- 
lingf  thereof,  under  the  portion  of  the  shoulder-piece  hanging  in 
front,  close  to  the  point  at  which  the  shoulder-piece  joined  the 
band. 


224  EXODUS  28.  29,  30.     S  P 

a  lace  of  blue,  that  it  may  be  upon  the  cunningly  woven 
band  of  the  ephod,  and  that  the  breastplate  be  not  loosed 

29  from  the  ephod.  [P]  And  Aaron  shall  bear  the  names  of 
the  children  of  Israel  in  the  breastplate  of  judgement 
upon  his  heart,  when  he  goeth  in  unto  the  holy  place, 

30  for  a  memorial  before  the  Lord  continually.  And  thou 
shalt  put  in  the  breastplate  of  judgement  ^  the  Urim  and 
the  Thummim ;  and  they  shall  be  upon  Aaron's  heart, 
when  he  goeth  in  before  the  Lord  :  and  Aaron  shall 
bear  the  judgement  of  the  children  of  Israel  upon  his 
heart  before  the  Lord  continually. 

'^  That  is,  f/ie  Lights  and  the  Perfections. 

29.  Cf.  verses  12  and  30. 

30.  And  thou  shalt  put  in  the  breastplate  of  judgement  the 
Urim  and  the  Thummim.  The  latter  were  the  sacred  lots  used 
as  an  oracle.  According  to  the  original  text  preserved  in  the 
Septuagint,  these  were  used  by  Saul,  I  Sam.  xiv.  41,  thus  : — 
*  O  Yahweh,  God  of  Israel,  if  the  iniquity  be  in  me  or  in 
Jonathan  my  son,  give  Urim  ;  but  if  it  be  in  the  people,  give 
Thummim.'  In  the  Blessing  of  Moses,  Deut.  xxxiii.  8,  the 
custody  of  the  Thummim  and  the  Urim  was  the  special  preroga- 
tive of  Levi,  the  priestly  tribe.  According  to  Ezra  ii.  63  ;  Neh. 
vii.  65,  the  Urim  and  Thummim  were  lost  some  time  before  the 
Return,  and  were  not  replaced.  They  were  probably  stones — 
perhaps  precious  stones. 

As  the  words  are  now  written  in  the  Hebrew,  they  mean  '  Lights 
and  Perfections '  (marg.)  ;  the  Septuagint  renders  them  here  by 
singulars,  '  the  Manifestation  and  the  Truth.'  The  original 
meaning  is  unknown  ;  but  Urim  may  be  connected  with  hord 
'■  cast,'  or  '  give  a  decision,'  the  root  oftSid,  *  law '  ;  and  Thummim 
may  be  connected  with  an  Arabic  word  meaning  '  amulets.' 

The  breastplate  is  called  the  *  breastplate  of  judgement '  because 
of  the  use  of  the  sacred  lots  to  give  decisions. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  the  Urim  and  Thummim  had 
disappeared  before  this  description  was  written,  and  that  the 
author  may  have  had  no  practical  experience  of  any  such  decisions 
by  lot.  The  phrases  *  breastplate  of  judgement '  and  *  Urim  and 
Thummim  '  were  taken  over  from  tradition  ;  and  the  author  may 
have  attached  meanings  to  them  other  than  that  which  they  bore 
in  ancient  times.  But  if  he  did  so,  he  does  not  tell  us  what  he 
understood  by  the  words.     The  numerous  theories  on  the  subject 


EXODUS  28.  ?,r-35.      P  225 

And  thou  shalt  make  the  robe  of  the  ephod  all  of  blue.  31 
And  *it  shall  have  a  hole  for  the  head  in  the  midst  33 
thereof:  it  shall  have  a  binding  of  woven  work  round 
about  the  hole  of  it,  as  it  were  the  hole  of  a  coat  of  mail, 
that  it  be  not  rent.     And  upon  the  skirts  of  it  thou  shalt  33 
make  pomegranates  of  blue,  and  of  purple,  and  of  scarlet, 
round  about  the  skirts  thereof;  and  bells  of  gold  between 
them  round  about :  a  golden  bell  and  a  pomegranate,  34 
a  golden  bell  and  a  pomegranate,  upon  the  skirts  of  the 
robe  round  about.     And  it  shall  be  upon  Aaron  to  min-  35 
ister :   and  the  sound   thereof  shall   be  heard  when  he 
goeth  in  unto  the  holy  place  before  the  Lord,  and  when 
he  cometh  out,  that  he  die  not. 

*  Or,  there  shall  be  a  hole  in  the  top  of  it 

show  how  eas}'  it  is  to  give  forced  interpretation  to  survivals  of 
primitive  language. 

31.  robe,  me'il,  the  ordinary  long,  sleeveless  uppw  garment  of 
the  Israelite  ;  e.  g.  in  i  Sam.  xv.  27,  xxviii.  14  Samuel  wears  a 
7ne"il,  R.  V.  'robe.' 

of  the  ephod.  This  phrase  might  support  the  view  that 
the  author,  taking  for  granted  that  his  readers  knew  just  what 
an  ephod  was,  did  not  intend  to  describe  it,  but  only  to  give  an 
account  of  the  special  features  which  distinguished  this  particular 
vestment  from  an  ordinary  ephod.  Or  '  the  robe  of  the  ephod ' 
may  mean  the  robe  to  which  the  ephod  was  attached,  or  over 
which  it  was  worn. 

The  words  *  of  the  ephod  '  do  not  seem  to  have  stood  in  the  text 
used  by  the  Greek  translators. 

33.  bells,  lit.  'strikers'  or  'clappers,'  perhaps  round  discs 
which  struck  against  one  another. 

35.  that  he  die  not.  The  '  bells '  also  were  probably  a 
survival,  having  been  intended  to  frighten  the  demons  who  were 
supposed  to  inhabit  the  threshold  (Baentsch)  ;  but  the  Priestlj' 
writer  may  have  regarded  them  as  a  respectful  mode  of  announc- 
ing to  Yahweh  the  approach  and  departure  of  the  High  Priest. 

In  the  account  of  Aaron's  vestments  in  Ecclus.  xlv.  1-12,  we 
read,  'And  he  [Moses]  compassed  him  with  golden  pomegranates, 
with  many  bells  round  about,  to  send  forth  a  sound  as  he  w«nt, 
to  make  a  sound  that  might  be  heard  in  the  Temple,  for  iai 
memorial  for  the  children  of  his  people.' 


226  EXODUS  28.  36-40.     P 

36  And  thou  shalt  make  a  plate  of  pure  gold,  and  grave 
upon  it,  like  the  engravings  of  a  signet,  holy  to  the 

37  LORD.  And  thou  shalt  put  it  on  a  lace  of  blue,  and  it 
shall  be  upon  the  ^  mitre  ;  upon  the  forefront  of  the  **  mitre 

38  it  shall  be.  And  it  shall  be  upon  Aaron's  forehead,  and 
Aaron  shall  hear  the  iniquity  of  the  holy  things,  which  the 
children  of  Israel  shall  hallow  in  all  their  holy  gifts ;  and 
it  shall  be  always  upon  his  forehead,  that  they  may  be  ac- 

39  cepted  before  the  Lord.  And  thou  shalt  weave  the  coat  in 
chequer  work  of  ^  fine  linen,  and  thou  shalt  make  a  ^  mitre 
of  ^  fine  linen,  and  thou  shalt  make  a  girdle,  the  work  of 

40  the  embroiderer.  And  for  Aaron's  sons  thou  shalt  make 
coats,  and  thou  shalt  make  for  them  girdles,  and  head- 

*  Or,  /urban  ^  Or,  silk 

36.  HOI.T  TO  THE  LORD,  lit.  'Holiness  to  Yahweh,'  i.e. 
'  Consecrated  to  Yahweh.' 

37.  a  lace  of  blue,  to  fasten  behind  and  keep  the  plate  in  its 
place.  If  the  plate  was  on  the  mitre  or  turban,  it  would  seem 
simpler  to  fix  the  plate  permanently  on  the  turban.  Perhaps 
the  clauses  about  the  turban  in  this  verse  should  be  left  out. 

mitre,  rather,  as  R.  V.  marg.,  *  turban.' 

38.  and  Aaron  shall  bear  the  iniquity,  &c.,  rather,  Uhat 
Aaron  ma}'  bear,'  &c.  Even  the  sacred  (holy)  things  and  gifts 
offered  to  Yahweh  would  sometimes  partake  of  'iniquity,'  i.e. 
their  physical  nature  and  condition  would  sometimes  be  unsatis- 
factory according  to  the  ceremonial  laws  ;  and  the  dedication  and 
devotion  of  the  High  Priest  to  Yahweh,  symbolized  by  the 
engraved  plate,  would  induce  Him  to  overlook  these  defects. 
There  would  also,  of  course,  be  faults  of  temper  and  spirit  in  the 
offerers,  but  these  are  not  in  the  mind  of  the  writer.  Here, 
again,  the  practice  of  bearing  religious  tribal  or  official  marks  on 
the  forehead  is  ancient ;  originally  such  marks  were  supposed  to 
have  a  magical  efficacy.  Such  opinions,  no  doubt,  maintained 
themselves  amongst  the  less  enlightened  Jews,  priests  and 
otherwise. 

39.  And  then  shalt  weave  the  coat  in  chequer  work  of  fine 
linen,  '  And  thou  shalt  plait  the  tunic  of  fine  linen.'  The 
exact  meaning  of  the  word  rendered  *  plait '  or  *  weave  in  chequer 
work'  is  not  known,  but  it  probabl}'  implies  some  sort  of  pattern. 

40.  headtires,  turbans  less  elaborate  than  Aaron's  'mitre.' 


EXODUS  28.  41  —  29.  i.     P  S  P  227 

tires  shalt  thou  make  for  them,  for  glory  and  for  beauty. 
[S]  And  thou  shalt  put  them  upon  Aaron  thy  brother,  41 
and  upon  his  sons  with  him  ;  and  shalt  anoint  them,  and 
'^  consecrate  them,  and  sanctify  them,  that  they  may  min- 
ister unto  me  in  the  priest's  office.     [P]  And  thou  shalt  42 
make  them  linen  breeches  to  cover  the  flesh  of  their 
nakedness ;  from  the  loins  even  unto  the  thighs   they 
shall  reach  :  and  they  shall  be  upon  Aaron,  and  upon  his  43 
sons,  when  they  go  in  unto  the  tent  of  meeting,  or  when 
they  come  near  unto  the  altar  to  minister  in  the  holy 
place ;  that  they  bear  not  iniquity,  and  die  :  it  shall  be 
a  statute  for  ever  unto  him  and  unto  his  seed  after  him. 
And  this  is  the  thing  that  thou  shalt  do  unto  them  to  28 
*  Heb.  ^11  their  hand. 


for  fiflory  and  for  beauty.     See  verse  2. 
41.  This  verse  is  a  later  addition.     It  interrupts  the  instructions 
as  to  the  manufacture  of  the  priestly  vestments,  and  anticipates 
xxix.  5  fF. 

consecrate,  as  marg.,  lit.  fill  the  hand  of:  the  ancient 
technical  term  for  consecrating  a  priest.  We  do  not  know  its 
original  meaning.  The  phrase  may  have  meant  'place  the  office 
in  his  hands,'  as  it  were  ;  some  symbol  or  implement  of  the 
office  being  actually  placed  in  the  hand,  perhaps  a  fee,  or  a 
sacrificial  portion  ;  cf.  Judges  xvii.  5.  Sanctify,  with  the  proper 
ritual,  ablutions,  sacrifices,  special  clothing,  &c. 
43.  tent  of  meetingr.     See  on  xxvii.  21. 

that  they  hear  not  iniquity  and  die.  Unseemly  exposure 
in  so  sacred  a  place  would  have  been  a  sin  which  Yahweh  would 
have  punished  with  death  ;  cf.  xx.  26,  and  the  slaying  of  Nadab 
and  Abihu  for  offering  the  wrong  sort  of  incense.  Lev.  x.  i  f. 

his  seed  after  him.  These  chapters  are  a  permanent  law 
for  the  priesthood. 

xxix.  1-37.     The  Ordination  of  Aaron  and  his  Sons. 

1-3.  A  bullock  and  two  rams  and  the  necessary  adjuncts  are 
to  be  provided  for  sacrifices. 

4.   Aaron  and  his  sons  are  to  bathe. 

5-9.  They  are  to  put  on  the  sacred  vestments. 

10-14.  The  bullock  is  to  be  ofi'ered  as  a  sin-offering. 

Q  2 


228  EXODUS  29.  2-S.     P 

hallow  them,  to  minister  unto  me  in  the  priest's  office :  take 

2  one  young  bullock  and  two  rams  without  blemish,  and  un- 
leavened bread,  and  cakes  unleavened  mingled  with  oil, 
and  wafers  unleavened  anointed  with  oil :  of  fine  wheaten 

3  flour  shalt  thou  make  them.  And  thou  shalt  put  them 
into  one  basket,  and  bring  them  in  the  basket,  with  the 

4  bullock  and  the  two  rams.  And  Aaron  and  his  sons  thou 
shalt  bring  unto  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  shalt 

5  wash  them  with  water.  And  thou  shalt  take  the  garments, 
and  put  upon  Aaron  the  coat,  and  the  robe  of  the  ephod, 
and  the  ephod,  and  the  breastplate,  and  gird  him  with 

6  the  cunningly  woven  band  of  the  ephod  :  and  thou  shalt 
set  the  « mitre  upon  his  head,  and  put  the  holy  crown 

7  upon  the  «  mitre.     Then  shalt  thou  take  the  anointing 

8  oil,  and  pour  it  upon  his  head,  and  anoint  him.  And 
thou  shalt  bring  his  sons,  and  put  coats  upon  them. 

*0r,  turban 

15-18.  One  ram  is  to  be  offered  as  a  whole  burnt-offering. 

ig-28.  The  other  ram  is  to  be  a  'ram  of  consecration';  its 
various  portions,  with  the  adjuncts,  are  to  serve  as  a  wave-offering 
and  a  heave-offering. 

29.  30.  Aaron's  sacred  vestments  are  to  be  handed  down  to 
his  sons. 

31-34.  The  flesh  and  bread  'of  consecration  '  arc  to  be  eaten 
by  Aaron  and  his  sons  at  the  door  of  the  Tent  of  Meeting.  Any- 
thing left  is  to  be  burnt. 

35-37.  The  ceremonies  of  the  ordination  of  the  Priests  and 
the  dedication  of  the  Altar  are  to  continue  for  seven  days. 

The  account  of  the  carrying  out  of  these  instructions  is  given 
in  Lev.  viii. 

1.  hallow,  the  same  word  as  'sanctify'  in  xxviii.  41,  which  see. 

2.  unleavened  bread.     See  on  xii.  8. 

4.  tent  of  meeting.     See  pp.  6  ff.  and  cf.  xxvii.  21. 

Shalt  wash  them.  Nothing  is  said  about  the  arrangements 
for  this  function ;  if  it  was  to  be  public,  due  decorum  would  of 
course  be  observed. 

5,  6.  Cf.  previous  chapter. 

7.  the  anointingf  oil:  cf.  xxv.  6.  Only  Aaron,  i.e.  the  High 
Priest,  is  anointed.     In  the  earlier  literature  kings  are  anointed. 


EXODUS  29.  9-17.     P  229 

And  thou  shalt  gird  them  with  girdles,  Aaron  and  his  9 
sons,  and  bind  headtires  on  them  :  and  they  shall  have 
the  priesthood  by  a  perpetual  statute  :   and  thou  shalt 
consecrate  Aaron  and  his  sons.     And  thou  shalt  bring  10 
the  bullock  before  the  tent  of  meeting :  and  Aaron  and 
his  sons  shall  lay  their  hands  upon  the  head   of  the 
bullock.     And  thou   shalt   kill   the   bullock  before  the  n 
Lord,  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting.     And  thou  la 
shalt  take  of  the  blood  of  the  bullock,  and  put  it  upon 
the  horns  of  the  altar  with  thy  finger;  and  thou  shalt 
pour  out  all  the  blood  at  the  base  of  the  altar.     And  thou  13 
shalt  take  all .  the  fat  that  covereth  the  inwards,  and  the 
caul  upon  the  liver,  and  the  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat  that 
is  upon  them,  and  burn  them  upon  the  altar.     But  the  14 
flesh  of  the  bullock,  and  its  skin,  and  its  dung,  shalt  thou 
burn  with  fire  without  the  camp  :  it  is  a  ^  sin  offering. 
Thou  shalt  also  take  the  one  ram;  and  Aaron  and  his  15 
sons  shall  lay  their  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  ram. 
And  thou  shalt  slay  the  ram,  and   thou   shalt  take  its  16 
blood,  and  sprinkle  it  round  about  upon  the  altar.     And  17 

*Heb.  sin. 

8.  coats.     See  on  xxviii.  39. 

9.  a  perpetual  statute.  The  priesthood  was  to  be  permanently 
confined  to  the  House  of  Aaron. 

10-14.  Cf.  on  Lev.  iv.  i  ff. 

10.  lay  their  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  bullock,  rather, 
'rest 'or  'lean  their  hand.'  The  meaning  of  this  rite  is  much 
disputed.  It  has  been  supposed  to  make  the  victim  a  represen- 
tative of  the  offerer ;  or,  more  probably,  to  symbolize  the  trans- 
ference of  the  sacrifice  from  the  worshipper  to  God.  Cf. 
Lev.  iv.  4. 

11.  thou  shalt  kill  the  bullock.  Aaron  and  his  sons,  not 
being  yet  ordained,  are  in  the  position  of  ordinary  lay  worship- 
pers ;  and  Moses  acts  as  priest. 

14.  sin  offeriniTf  {tattdtlt,  see  on  Lev.  iv.  3.      Before  Aaron  is 
fit  to  act  as  priest  he  must  be  purged  of  sin. 
16.  its  blood.     .Sec  on  xii.  7. 


230  EXODUS  29.  18-22.     P  S  P 

thou  shall  cut  the  ram  into  its  pieces,  and  wash  its  inwards, 
and  its  legs,  and  put  them  ^  with  its  pieces,  and  *  with  its 

18  head.  And  thou  shalt  burn  the  whole  ram  upon  the 
altar  :  it  is  a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord  :  it  is  a  sweet 

19  savour,  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Ix)RD.  And 
thou  shalt  take  the  other  ram ;  and  Aaron  and  his  sons 

20  shall  lay  their  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  ram.  Then 
shalt  thou  kill  the  ram,  and  take  of  its  blood,  and  put  it 
upon  the  tip  of  the  right  ear  of  Aaron,  and  upon  the  tip 
of  the  right  ear  of  his  sons,  and  upon  the  thumb  of  their 
right  hand,  and  upon  the  great  toe  of  their  right  foot,  and 

31  sprinkle  the  blood  upon  the  altar  round  about.  [S]  And 
thou  shalt  take  of  the  blood  that  is  upon  the  altar,  and  of 
the  anointing  oil,  and  sprinkle  it  uiX)n  Aaron,  and  U|X)n 
his  garments,  and  upon  his  sons,  and  upon  the  garments 
of  his  sons  with  him  :  and  he  shall  be  hallowed,  and  his 
garments,  and  his  sons,  and  his  sons'  garments  with  him. 

a 3  [P]Also  thou  shalt  take  of  the  ram  the  fat,  and  the  fat 
tail,  and  the  fat  that  covereth  the  inwards,  and  the  caul 
of  the  liver,  and  the  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat  that  is  upon 

*  Or,  upon 

18.  burnt  offeringf.     See  on  x.  25. 

sweet  savour.  The  phrase  is  a  survival  from  times  when 
men  thought  that  the  actual  smell  of  burning  flesh  or  spices 
pleased  the  deity  ;  cf.  Gen.  viii.  21.  In  the  present  document 
the  words  are  used  figuratively  to  denote  that  the  offering  was 
acceptable  to  God.  The  burnt-offering  on  this  occasion  would  be 
a  natural  expression  of  Aaron's  devotion. 

19-21.  As  in  the  ritual  of  the  Day  of  Atonement,  two  animals 
are  taken,  the  one  is  sacrificed  as  a  sin-offering,  and  the  character- 
istic rites  of  the  special  occasion  are  connected  with  the  second 
animal.     Cf.  also  Lev.  xiv.  i  ff. 

20.  Similar  rites  are  prescribed  for  a  person  cleansed  of  leprosy, 
Lev.  xiv.  14  ff.,  25  ff.  They  may  symbolize  the  devotion  of  the 
whole  bod}'^  to  God. 

22.  fat  tail.  The  fat  tail  of  a  Syrian  sheep  is  esteemed  a 
dclicac}'  to  be  offered  to  an  honoured  guest. 


EXODUS  29.  23-27.     P  231 

them,  and  the  right  « thigh  ;  for  it  is  a  ram  of  conse- 
cration :   and  one  loaf  of  bread,  and  one  cake  of  oiled  23 
bread,  and  one  wafer,  out  of  the  basket  of  unleavened 
bread  that  is  before  the  Lord  :   and  thou  shalt  put  the  24 
whole  upon  the  hands  of  Aaron,  and  upon  the  hands  of 
his  sons  ;  and  shalt  wave  them  for  a  wave  offering  before 
the  Lord.     And  thou  shalt  take  them  from  their  hands,  25 
and  burn  them  on  the  altar  upon  the  burnt  offering,  for 
a  sweet  savour  before  the  Lord  :  it  is  an  offering  made 
by  fire  unto  the  Lord.     And  thou  shalt  take  the  breast  26 
of  Aaron's  ram  of  consecration,  and  wave  it  for  a  wave 
offering  before  the  Lord  :  and  it  shall  be  thy  portion. 
And  thou  shalt  sanctify  the  breast  of  the  wave  offering,  27 
and  the  ^  thigh  of  the  heave  offering,  which  is  waved, 
'^Or,  shoulder 


consecration,  lit.  •  filling';  cf.  on  xxviii.  41. 

23.  Cf.  verse  3. 

24.  This  may  be  the  '  filling  of  the  hands '  referred  to  above. 
wave  offeringf,  usually  something  symbolically  presented  to 

God  by  being  moved  to  and  fro  before  the  altar,  but  not  actually 
consumed  ;  such  offerings  being  the  perquisites  of  the  priests. 
Here,  however,  the  wave-offering  is  consumed  on  the  altar,  but 
is  placed  there,  not  by  Aaron  and  his  sons,  who  are  not  yet 
priests,  but  by  Moses. 

thou  .  .  ,  Shalt  wave,  &c.  It  is  not  clear  how  Moses  could 
'  wave  '  loaves  and  joints  of  meat  which  were  in  the  hands  of 
Aaron  and  his  sons.  The  translation  sometimes  proposed,  *  shalt 
cause  them  to  wave,'  does  not  suit  the  context;  it  causes  Aaron 
to  act  prematurely  as  a  priest,  and  is  not  justified  by  the  usage  of 
the  Hebrew  word.  Perhaps  this  clause  is  an  addition  ;  cf.  pre- 
vious note  and  verse  26. 

26.  it  shall  be  thy  portion,  as  officiating  priest.  In  Lev, 
vii.  31  the  breast  of  the  wave-offering  is  the  perquisite  of  the 
priests. 

27.  heave  oflferingf,  feriimd,  'something  lifted  or  taken  up.' 
Sometimes  explained  as  an  offering,  like  the  wave-offering, 
symbolically  presented  by  being  raised  on  high.  But  the  terurtid 
is  rather  a  part  lifted  off  from  a  larger  whole,  that  the  part  may 
be  dedicated  to  God  ;  or  the  portion  taken  from  a  sacrifice,  to  be 


232  EXODUS  29.  28-35.     P  S  P 

and  which  is  heaved  up,  oftheram  of  consecration,  even 
of  that  which  is  for  Aaron,  and  of  that  which  is  for  his 
38  sons  :  and  it  shall  be  for  Aaron  and  his  sons  as  a  due  for 
ever  from  the  children  of  Israel :  for  it  is  an  heave  offer- 
ing :  and  it  shall  be  an  heave  offering  from  the  children 
of  Israel  of  the  sacrifices  of  their  peace  offerings,  even 

29  their  heave  offering  unto  the  Lord.  And  the  holy 
garments  of  Aaron  shall  be  for  his  sons  after  him,  to  be 

30  anointed  in  them,  and  to  be  consecrated  in  them.  Seven 
days  shall  the  son  that  is  priest  in  his  stead  put  them  on, 
when  he  cometh  into  the  tent  of  meeting  to  minister  in 

31  the  holy  place.     And  thou  shalt  take  the  ram  of  conse- 
33  cration,  and  seethe  its  flesh  in  a  holy  place.    And  Aaron 

and  his  sons  shall  eat  the  flesh  of  the  ram,  and  the  bread 
that  is  in  the  basket,  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting. 

33  [S]  And  they  shall  eat  those  things  wherewith  atonement 
was  made,  to  consecrate  and  to  sanctify  them :  but 
a  stranger  shall  not  eat  thereof,  because  they  are  holy. 

34  [P]  And  if  aught  of  the  flesh  of  the  consecration,  or  of 
the  bread,  remain  unto  the  morning,  then  thou  shalt  burn 
the  remainder  with  fire  :  it  shall  not  be  eaten,  because  it 

35  is  holy.     And  thus  shalt  thou  do  unto  Aaron,  and  to  his 


given  to  the  priest  as  his  due,  so  here  and  Lev.  vii.  33.  In  Ezek. 
xlviii.  10  the  land  assigned  to  the  priests  is  called  a  iet-utna,  R.  V. 
'oblation.'  Verses  27,  28  give  the  permanent  arrangement  as  to 
these  portions  of  the  sacrifices. 

28.  peace  offerings.     See  on  xx.  24. 

33.  There  is  nothing  corresponding  to  this  verse  in  Lev.  viii  ; 
no  previous  mention  has  been  made  of  *  things  wherewith  atone- 
ment was  made,'  nor  is  it  easy  to  understand  that  any  of  the 
edibles  enumerated  can  be  meant  ;  possibly  the  flesh  of  the  ram 
and  the  bread,  in  which  case  verse  33  a  repeats  verse  32  a.  The 
command  that  a  foreigner  (R.  V.  'stranger')  shall  not  eat  is 
superfluous  after  verse  32.  This  verse  is  probably  an  addition. 
atonement.     See  on  xxv.  17. 

35-37.  There    is   nothing    of  this    in    Lev.    viii,    except    that 


EXODUS  29.  36-38.     P  S  233 

sons,  according  to  all  that  I  have  commanded  thee  :  seven 
days  shalt  thou  consecrate  them.  And  every  day  shalt  36 
thou  offer  the  bullock  of  sin  offering  for  atonement :  and 
thou  shalt  ^cleanse  the  altar,  when  thou  makest  atone- 
ment for  it ;  and  thou  shalt  anoint  it,  to  sanctify  it.  Seven  37 
days  thou  shalt  make  atonement  for  the  altar,  and  sanctify 
it :  and  the  altar  shall  be  most  holy ;  ^  whatsoever 
toucheth  the  altar  shall  be  holy. 

[S]  Now  this  is  that  which  thou  shalt  offer  upon  the  38 

*  Or,  purge  ihe  altar,  by  thy  making  atonement        ^  Or,  whosoever 


according  to  Lev.  viii.   33  ff.  Aaron  and  his  sons  are  to  remain 
seven  days  in  the  precincts  of  the  Tabernacle. 

36.  the  bullock,  rather,  *  a  bullock.' 

cleanse  the  altar.  The  altar  was  constructed  from  materials 
originally  common  or  profane,  and  according  to  primitive  ideas 
a  kind  of  sinfulness  or  unworthiness  attached  to  it  from  which 
it  needed  to  be  cleansed.  In  Christian  times  ceremonies  of 
purification  have  been  performed  for  sacred  buildings  which 
have  been  phj'sically  defiled. 

37.  shall  he  holy :  i.  e.  dedicated  to  the  service  of  Yahweh,  and 
forfeited  by  its  owner.  Probably  such  things  or  persons  could 
be  redeemed  by  a  fine.  The  idea  of  the  contagiousness  of 
sanctity  is  common  in  primitive  religions.  Cf.  also  Ezek.  xlvi.  20  ; 
Hag.,  ii.  12. 

xxix.  38-42.    The  Daily  Offerings  (S). 

38.  Two  firstling  lambs  to  be  sacrificed  every  day. 

39.  One  in  the  morning,  one  in  the  evening. 

40j  41.  A  meal-offering  and  a  drink-offering  to  be  presented 
with  each. 

42.  This  is  to  be  a  permanent  institution. 

SoitrceSjScc.  This  section  is  also  premature.  Themainbody  of  the 
legislation,  the  foundation  code,  is  still  occupied  with  the  con- 
struction and  dedication  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  the  ordination 
of  its  priests.  Moreover,  if  these  verses  were  in  their  right  place 
here,  *  thou  '  in  verse  38  must  refer  to  Moses  as  in  verse  24  ;  but 
in  the  permanent  service  Aaron,  and  not  Moses,  was  the  priest. 
Moreover,  verse  43  a  repeats  verse  42  b. 

Verses  38-41  also  occur  with  slight  verbal  changes  in  Num. 
xxviii.  3-8.     Daily  morning  and  evening  sacrifices  were  instituted 


234  EXODUS  29.  39-43.     S  P 

altar ;  two  lambs  of  the  first  year  day  by  day  continually. 

39  The  one  lamb  thou  shalt  offer  in  the  morning  ;  and  the 

40  other  lamb  thou  shalt  offer  *  at  even  :  and  with  the  one 
lamb  a  tenth  part  ofaji  ephah  of  fine  flour  mingled  witli 
the  fourth  part  of  an  hin  of  beaten  oil ;  and  the  fourth 

41  part  of  an  hin  of  wine  for  a  drink  offering.  And  the 
other  lamb  thou  shalt  offer  ^  at  even,  and  shalt  do  thereto 
according  to  the  meal  offering  of  the  morning,  and 
according  to  the  drink  offering  thereof,  for  a  sweet  savour, 

43  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord.  It  shall  be 
a  continual  burnt  offering  throughout  your  generations  at 
the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting  before  the  Lord  :  where 

43  I  will  meet  with  you,  to  speak  there  unto  thee.  [P]  And 
"  Heb.  behoeen  the  two  evemns^s. 


by  Ahaz,  2  Kings  xvi.  15.  Ezek.  xlvi.  13-15  provides  for  a  daily 
burnt-offering  of  a  firstling  lamb  in  the  luormngs  only,  with 
a  smaller  meal-offering,  ^  Ephah  of  flour,  ^  Hin  of  oil  ;  and 
no  wine. 

38.  continually,  Heb.  idmidh.  This  sacrifice  was  known  in 
later  times  as  the  Tdmidh,  and  great  importance  was  attached  to 
it.  This  is  the  regular  public  sacrifice,  in  addition  to  private 
offerings. 

39.  at  even,  lit.  as  marg.,  between  the  two  evening's ;  see 
on  xii.  6. 

40.  ephah,  said  to  have  contained  six  bins,  probably  rather 
more  than  eight  gallons. 

hin,  said  to  have  contained  about  twelve  pints.     It  is  only 
mentioned  in  Ezekiel  and  the  Priestly  sections  of  the  Pentateuch. 
beaten  oil.     See  on  xxvii.  20. 

41.  Cf.  verse  18. 

xxix.  43-46.     Conclusion  of  Directions  as  to  the  Sanctuary 
AND  THE  Priesthood. 

43.  Yahweh  will  meet  with  the  Israelites  at  the  Altar,  and  the 
Tabernacle  shall  be  consecrated  by  His  visible  Presence. 

44.  He  will  consecrate  the  Tabernacle,  the  Altar,  and  the 
Priests. 

45.  46.  Yahweh  will  dwell  among  the  Israelites  as  their  God, 
Who  delivered  them  from  Egypt. 


EXODUS  29.  44—30.  i.     P  S  235 

there  I  will  meet  with  the  children  of  Israel :  and  the  Tent 
shall  be  sanctified  by  my  glory.     And  I  will  sanctify  the  44 
tent  of  meeting,  and  the  altar :  Aaron  also  and  his  sons 
will  I  sanctify,  to  minister  to  me  in  the  priest's  office. 
And  I  will  dwell  among  the  children  of  Israel,  and  will  be  45 
their  God.     And  they  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  4^ 
their  God,  that  brought  them  forth  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  that  I  may  dwell  among  them :  I  am  the  Lord 
their  God. 

[S]  And  thou  shalt  make  an  altar  to  burn  incense  30 

43.  there  .  .  .  the  Tent.  R.  V.  rightly  supplies  the  latter 
words  ;  it  is  within  the  Tabernacle  that  the  Glory  of  Yahweh 
appears,  xl,  34,  35.  'There'  might  also  refer  to  the  Tabernacle, 
but  may  mean  the  altar  where  the  fellowship  of  Yahweh  and 
Israel  is  effected  by  the  sacrifices.  The  obscurity'  of  the  language 
may  be  due  to  the  insertion  of  the  previous  section. 

gflory,  the  visible  Presence  of  Yahweh  in  the  fiery  cloud. 

44.  I  will  sanctify.  The  phj'sical  acts,  dealing  with  material 
objects,  did  not  effect  consecration  by  themselves.  They  were 
only  valid  because  Yahweh  appointed  and  accepted  them,  and 
Himself  5et  apart  the  Sanctuary  and  its  Ministers  for  His  service. 

XXX.  i-io.    The  Altar  of  Inxense  (S). 

1-3.  An  altar  is  to  be  made  of  acacia- wood  overlaid  with  gold, 
with  a  golden  rim.  The  altar  is  to  be  a  cubit  broad,  a  cubit  long, 
and  two  cubits  high. 

4,  5.  It  is  to  be  provided  with  rings  to  hold  the  staves  with 
which  it  is  to  be  carried. 

6.  It  is  to  be  put  in  the  Holy  Place. 

7,  8.    Aaron  is  to  burn  incense  on  it  morning  and  evening. 

9.  It  is  not  to  be  used  for  any  other  purpose. 

10.  It  is  to  be  cleansed  with  the  blood  of  the  sin-offering  once 
a  3'ear.     It  is  a  most  sacred  thing. 

Sources,  &c.  This  and  some  of  the  following  sections  belong 
to  the  later  additions  to  the  Priestly  Code.  The  main  body 
of  that  document  only  knows  of  one  altar,  that  of  burnt-offering, 
which  it  consistently  calls  '  ihe  altar,'  xxix.  44  and  passim.  The 
passage  also  implies  directions  given  at  a  later  stage.  Thus 
the  '  strange  incense'  in  verse  9  implies  Lev.  x.  i  ;  and  verse  10 
implies  the  ritual  of  the  Day  of  Atonement  in  Lev.  xvi.  In  the 
Samaritan  Pentateuch  the  passage  comes  after  xxvi.  35. 


236  EXODUS  30.  2-6.     S 

2  upon  :  of  acacia  wood  shalt  thou  make  it.  A  cubit  shall 
be  the  length  thereof,  and  a  cubit  the  breadth  thereof; 
foursquare  shall  it  be  :  and  two  cubits  shall  be  the  height 
thereof :  the  horns  thereof  shall  be  of  one  piece  with  it. 

3  And  thou  shalt  overlay  it  with  pure  gold,  the  *  top  there- 
of, and  the  ^  sides  thereof  round  about,  and  the  horns 
thereof ;  and  thou  shalt  make  unto  it  a  ^  crown  of  gold 

4  round  about.  And  two  golden  rings  shalt  thou  make  for 
it  under  the  crown  thereof,  upon  the  two  ribs  thereof,  upon 
the  two  sides  of  it  shalt  thou  make  them  ;  and  they  shall 

5  be  for  places  for  staves  to  bear  it  withal.  And  thou 
shalt  make  the  staves  of  acacia  wood,  and  overlay  them 

6  with  gold.  And  thou  shalt  put  it  before  the  veil  that  is 
by  the  ark  of  the  testimony,  before  the  mercy-seat  that  is 

*  Heb.  roof.  ^  Heb.  zvalls.  •=  Or,  rim     Or,  moulding 

There  are  many  difficulties  about  this  Altar  of  Incense,  and  it 
lias  been  doubted  whether  it  ever  existed.  If  we  render  *  censers ' 
instead  of  *  spoons  '  in  xxv.  29,  the  offering  of  incense  has  already 
been  arranged  for  ;  there  is  no  such  altar  in  Ezekiel  ;  nor  among 
the  spoil  taken  by  Titus.  According  to  a  Mace.  ii.  sff.,  Jeremiah 
hid  the  Ark  and  Altar  of  Incense  in  a  cave.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  are  references  to  this  altar  in  i  Mace.  i.  ar,  iv.  49/?.  The 
reference  to  'the  golden  altar'  in  i  Kings  vi.  22,  vii.  48  is  said 
(Kennedy)  to  be  a  late  addition  to  that  work,  based  on  our 
passage.  This  altar  is  not  mentioned  amongst  the  contents  of  the 
Tabernacle  in  Heb.  ix.  a-5  :  R.  V.  rightly  translates  thunuaterion 
in  verse  4,  'censer,'  and  not,  as  marg.,  'altar  of  incense.' 

This  altar  may  be  simply  the  Table  of  Shewbread  in  another 
form,  the  Table  being  sometimes  thought  of  and  spoken  of  as  an 
altar  ;  the  idea  arose  that  at  one  time  there  was  an  altar  within 
the  Tabernacle  ;  and  the  author  of  our  passage  gave  an  account 
of  his  theory  of  the  nature  and  object  of  that  altar. 

Kennedi'  and  Skinner,  however,  hold  that  such  an  altar  did 
exist  in  the  Second  Temple. 

1,  2.  Cf.  XX vii,  I,  2. 

3-5.  Cf.  xxv.  24,  26.  28. 

6.  This  verse,  together  with  xl.  5,  has  led  to  misunderstanding. 
If  we  take  the  existing  text,  we  should  interpret,  'Thou  shalt  put 
the  altar  before  the  veil    that  is  by  the  ark,'  i.  e.  '  in  the  Holy 


EXODUS  30.  7-12.     S  237 

over  the  testimony,  where  I  will  meet  with  thee.     And  7 
Aaron  shall  burn  thereon  incense  of  sweet  spices  :  every 
morning,  when  he  dresseth  the  lamps,  he  shall  burn  it. 
And  when  Aaron  ^  lighteth  the  lamps  ^  at  even,  he  shall  8 
burn  it,  a  perpetual  incense  before  the  Lord  throughout 
your   generations.     Ye   shall   oifer  no   strange   incense  9 
thereon,  nor  burnt  offering,  nor  meal  offering;   and  ye 
shall  pour  no  drink  offering  thereon.     And  Aaron  shall  10 
make  atonement  c  upon  the  horns  of  it  once  in  the  year : 
with  the  blood  of  the  sin  offering  of  atonement  once  in 
the  year  shall  he  make  atonement  ^  for  it  throughout 
your  generations  :  it  is  most  holy  unto  the  Lord. 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  When  thou  11,  i  a 

*Or,  setteth  up    Heb.  causeth  to  ascend. 

*  Heb.  between  the  two  evenings.  ^  Or,  for        ^  Or,  upon 


Place  or  outer  chamber,  outside  of  the  veil  separating  the  Holy 
Place  from  the  Holy  of  HoUes.'  The  writer  speaks  from  the 
point  of  view  of  a  person  entering  the  Tabernacle,  to  whom  an 
object  in  the  outer  chamber  is  '  before  the  veil.'  Then,  similarly, 
'  before  the  Mere}'- seat'  applies  to  the  veil,  not  to  the  altar. 

The  rival  opinion  that  the  altar  stood  within  the  veil,  in  the 
inner  chamber,  in  front  of  the  Ark,  is  not  justified  by  the  language 
here,  or  by  the  general  account  of  the  Tabernacle. 

Perhaps,  however,  we  should  follow  the  Septuagint,  the 
Samaritan  Hebrew  text,  and  a  number  of  Hebrew  MSS.  in 
omitting  'before  the  mercy-seat  that  is  over  the  testimony.' 

10.  The  writer  has  in  mind  the  ritual  of  the  Day  of  Atonement, 
Lev.  xvi.  In  that  chapter  incense  plays  an  important  part,  but 
it  is  offered  in  a  censer  ;  and  there  is  no  reference  to  an  altar  of 
incense.  The  '  altar  before  Yahweh '  is  the  altar  of  burnt-offering ; 
cf.  verses  la,  18,  20,  25  of  Lev.  xvi. 

XXX.  11-16.     The  Poll-Tax  ^S). 

ir-15.  When  a  census  is  taken,  the  Israelites  are  to  offer  half 
a  shekel  a  head  to  Yahweh. 

16.  This  money  is  to  be  devoted  to  the  service  of  the 
Sanctuary. 

Sources,  &c.     This  also   appears   to   be   a   later   addition.     In 


-J 


8  EXODUS  30.  ivi6.     S 


takest  the  sum  of  the  children  of  Israel,  according  to  those 
that  are  numbered  of  them,  then  shall  they  give  every 
man  a  ransom  for  his  soul  unto  the  Lord,  when  thou 
numberest  them ;  that  there  be  no  plague  among  them, 

13  when  thou  numberest  them.  This  they  shall  give,  every 
one  that  passeth  over  unto  them  that  are  numbered,  half 
a  shekel  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary  :  (the  shekel  is 
twenty  gerahs  :)  half  a  shekel  for  an  offering  to  the  Lord. 

14  Every  one  that  passeth  over  unto  them  that  are  numbered, 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  shall  give  the  offering 

15  of  the  Lord.  The  rich  shall  not  give  more,  and  the  poor 
shall  not  give  less,  than  the  half  shekel,  when  they  give  the 
offering  of  the  Lord,  to  make  atonement  for  your  souls. 

16  And  thou  shalt  take  the  atonement  money  from  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  shalt  appoint  it  for  the  service  of 
the  tent  of  meeting ;  that  it  may  be  a  memorial  for  the 

Neh.  X.  32  the  people  covenant  to  pay  a  third  of  a  shekel  a  head 
yearly. 

12.  Primitive  superstition  regarded  a  census  as  dangerous  or 
even  impious ;  unless  special  precautions  were  taken  Divine 
judgement  would  follow.  Thus  when  Yahweh  was  angry  with 
Israel  He  induced  David  to  take  a  census,  which  was  followed  by 
a  plague.  So  2  Sam.  xxiv  ;  but  i  Chron.  xxi.  i  judiciously  substi- 
tutes Satan  for  Yahweh.  In  Num.  i-iv  this  law  is  ignored,  and 
other  means  are  taken  of  averting  God's  wrath. 

ransom,  kophevy   from   the    root   KPhR,   'atone';    cf.    on 
XXV.  17. 

soTil,  rather,  '  life.' 

13.  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary,  or  rather,  'the  sacred 
shekel,'  commonly  supposed  to  be  about  half  as  much  again  as 
the  ordinary  shekel,  224  grains  as  against  173.  The  phrase  is 
only  found  in  the  Priestly  documents  ;  cf.  on  xxi.  32.  This  tax 
is  understood  as  an  annual  one  in  2  Chron.  xxiv.  6-9 ;  but  in  our 
passage  it  seems  only  intended  for  special  occasions. 

srerahs  only  occur  in  the  Priestly  documents  and  Ezekiel; 
they  are  identified  by  the  Septuagint  with  the  Greek  obol,  i.  e. 
about  II  grains  of  silver.     We  may  compare  a  small  Babylonian 
weight  called ^;V«  mentioned  in  Nebuchadnezzar's  inscriptions.. 
16.  memorial:  cf..  xxyiii.  29. 


EXODUS  'SO.  17-23.     S  239 

children  of  Israel  before  the  Lord,  to  make  atonement 
for  your  souls. 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Thou  shalt  i7>  ^^ 
also  make  a  laver  of  brass,  and  the  base  thereof  of  brass, 
to  wash  withal :  and  thou  shalt  put  it  between  the  tent 
of  meeting  and  the  altar,  and  thou  shalt  put  water  therein. 
And  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  wash  their  hands  and  their  19 
feet  thereat :  when  they  go  into  the  tent  of  meeting,  they  20 
shall  wash  with  water,  that  they  die  not ;  or  when  they 
come  near  to  the  altar  to  minister,  to  burn  an  offering 
made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord  :  so  they  shall  wash  their  21 
hands  and  their  feet,  that  they  die  not :  and  it  shall  be 
a  statute  for  ever  to  them,  even  to  him  and  to  his  seed 
throughout  their  generations. 

Moreover  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Take  a  a,  23 

XXX.  17-21.     The  Brazen  Layer  (S). 

17,  18.  Moses  is  to  make  a  Brazen  Laver,  and  place  it  between 
the  Tabernacle  and  the  Altar. 

19-21.  From  this  laver  Aaron  and  his  sons  are  to  wash  their 
hands  and  feet  when  they  minister  at  the  Tabernacle. 

Sources,  &c.  This  and  the  following  sections,  xxx.  17 — xxxi. 
17  are  mostly  later  additions.  For  this  laver,  compare  the 
Brazen  Sea  in  Solomon's  Temple,  i  Kings  vii.  23. 

20.  that  they  die  not.  Here  and  elsewhere  in  the  Priestly 
Code  the  uttermost  wrath  of  Yahweh  is  excited  by  neglect  of 
ritual ;  of.  x.  i. 

xxx.  22-33.    The  Anointing  Oil  (S). 

22-25.  Moses  is  to  compound  an  oil  for  anointing,  after  a 
certain  recipe. 

26-30.  With  this  he  is  to  anoint  the  Tabernacle,  its  belongings, 
and  Aaron  and  his  sons. 

31.  This  recipe  is  always  to  be  followed  in  making  oil  for 
anointing  the  sacred  persons  and  things. 

32.  The  oil  is  not  to  be  used  for  any  other  purpose. 

33.  Anyone  who  imitates  it  or  misuses  it  is  to  be  'cut  off  from 
his  people.' 


240  EXODUS  30.  24-.V,.     S 

thou  also  unto  thee  the  chief  spices,  of  flowing  myrrh  five 
hundred  shekels,  and  of  sweet  cinnamon  half  so  much, 
even  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and  of  sweet  calamus  two 

24  hundred  and  fifty,  and  of  ^  cassia  five  hundred,  after  the 

25  shekel  of  the  sanctuary,  and  of  olive  oil  an  hin  :  and  thou 
shalt  make  it  an  holy  anointing  oil,  a  perfume  compounded 
after  the  art  of  the  perfumer :  it  shall  be  an  holy  anointing 

aS  oil.  And  thou  shalt  anoint  therewith  the  tent  of  meeting, 
27  and  the  ark  of  the  testimony,  and  the  table  and  all  the 

vessels  thereof,  and  the  candlestick  and  the  vessels  there- 
2^  of,  and  the  altar  of  incense,  and  the  altar  of  burnt  offering 

with  all  the  vessels  thereof,  and  the  laver  and  the  base 

29  thereof.  And  thou  shalt  sanctify  them,  that  they  may 
be  most  holy  :  ^  whatsoever  toucheth  them  shall  be  holy. 

30  And  thou  shalt  anoint  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and  sanctify 
them,  that  they  may  minister  unto  me  in  the  priest's 

31  office.  And  thou  shalt  speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
saying,   This  shall  be  an   holy  anointing  oil   unto  me 

32  throughout  your  generations.  Upon  the  flesh  of  man 
shall  it  not  be  poured,  neither  shall  ye  make  any  like  it, 
according  to  the  composition  thereof :  it  is  holy,  and  it 

33  shall  be  holy  unto  you.     Whosoever  compoundeth  any 

*  Or,  costus  ^  Or,  U'liosoever 

23.  flowlngf  myrrh,  lit.  '  myrrh  of  flowing,'  evidently  pure 
and  of  best  quality.  Myrrh  is  a  gum-resin  from  a  shrub  growing 
in  Arabia  and  Africa. 

sweet  cinnamon,  lit.  *  cinnamon-spice '  or  'balsam,*  'cin- 
namon of  sweet  odour,'  a  fragrant  bark  used  as  spice. 

sweet  calamus,  lit.  *  reed-balsam,'  &c.,  an  aromatic  reed, 
found  in  Arabia  and  elsewhere. 

24.  cassia,  an  aromatic  bark.  For  this  verse  see  also  verse 
13  and  xxix.  40.      Here  the  '  sacred  shekel '  is  a  weight. 

29.  See  on  xxix.  37. 

32.  man,  ordinary  la3'man. 

33.  strangfer,  properly  'foreigner,'  perhaps  here  .merely 
'layman';  of.  xxix.  33.  ^  ''""' 


EXODUS  30.  54-36.     S  241 

like  it,  or  whosoever  putteth  any  of  it  upon  a  stranger,  he 
shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Take  unto  thee  sweet  34 
spices,  ^  stacte,  and  onycha,  and  galbanum ;  sweet  spices 
with  pure  frankincense :   of  each  shall  there  be  a  like 
weight ;  and  thou  shalt  make  of  it  incense,  a  perfume  35 
after  the  art  of  the  perfumer,  ^^  seasoned  with  salt,  pure 
and  holy  :  and  thou  shalt  beat  some  of  it  very  small,  and  3^ 
put  of  it  before  the  testimony  in  the  tent  of  meeting, 
'^  Or,  opoba/san  I  It  in  ^  Or,  tempered  iogetlicr 

cut  off  from  his  people  :  cf.  xii.  15. 

XXX.  34-38.     The  Sacred  Incense  (S). 

34}  35'  Moses  is  to  compound  Incense  according  to  a  given 
recipe. 

36.  Some  of  it  is  to  be  placed  before  the  Ark. 

37.  Such  incense  is  only  to  be  used  for  ritual  purposes. 

38.  Any  one  who  imitates  it  is  to  be  '  cut  off  from  his  people.* 

34.  sweet  spices,  in  the  Hebrew  a  single  word,  *  spices,' 
sarntniin,  only  found  in  the  Priestly  writers  and  in  Chronicles. 

stacte,  ndtdph,  '  drop,'  an  aromatic  gum ;  it  is  not  known 
from  what  plant  it  was  obtained. 

onycha,  sheljeleth,  usually  identified  with  a  part  of  certain 
shell-fish,  according  to  others  amber. 

galhanum,  helbend,  a  kind  of  gum.  Sheheleth  and  helbend 
are  said  to  stink  when  burnt  alone,  but  to  make  a  fragrant  blend 
with  the  other  ingredients.  The  use  of  these  two,  sh.  and  h.,  may 
date  back  to  primitive  times  when  incense  was  used  to  scare 
away  demons. 

each  ...  a  like  weig-ht,  lit.  'portion  for  portion,'  'equal 
parts.' 

35.  pure,  tdhor,  the  term  for  ceremonial  purity,  fit  to  be  used 
in  the  ritual. 

36.  This  verse  is  obscure.  It  might  possibly  mean  that  a 
portion  of  the  incense  was  to  be  kept,  as  a  sample  or  a  memorial, 
before  the  Ark  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  like  Aaron's  rod  and  the 
manna.  But  the  verse  is  commonly  expounded  thus  : — As  occasion 
required,  portions  of  the  incense  were  to  be  prepared  and  burnt 
on  the  altar  of  incense  in  the  Holy  Place,  before  the  Ark,  but 
separated  from  it  by  the  Veil.  If  our  author  meant  all  thts,  he 
might  have  said  so  ;  he  is  usually  fond  of  details. 


242  EXODUS  30.  37— 31.  8.     S 

where  I  will  meet  with  thee  :  it  shall  be  unto  you  most 

37  holy.  And  the  incense  which  thou  shalt  make,  according 
to  the  composition  thereof  ye  shall  not  make  for  your- 

38  selves  :  it  shall  be  unto  thee  holy  for  the  Lord.  Whoso- 
ever shall  make  like  unto  that,  to  smell  thereto,  he  shall 
be  cut  off  from  his  people. 

31  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  See,  I  have 
called  by  name  Bazelel  the  son  of  Uri,  the  son  of  Hur, 

3  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  :  and  I  have  filled  him  with  the 
spirit  of  God,  in  wisdom,  and  in  understanding,  and  in 

4  knowledge,  and  in  all  manner  of  workmanship,  to  devise 
cunning  works,  to  work  in  gold^  and  in  silver,  and  in 

5  brass,  and  in  cutting  of  stones  for  setting,  and  in  carving 

6  of  wood,  to  work  in  all  manner  of  workmanship.  And 
I,  behold,  I  have  appointed  with  him  Oholiab,  the  son 
of  Ahisamach,  of  the  tribe  of  Dan  ;  and  in  the  hearts  of  all 
that  are  wise  hearted  I  have  put  wisdom,  that  they  may 

7  make  all  that  I  have  commanded  thee  :  the  tent  of  meet- 
ing, and  the  ark  of  the  testimony,  and  the  mercy-seat  that  is 

8  thereupon,  and  all  the  furniture  of  the  Tent ;   and  the 

37  f.  Cf.  verses  31  ff. 

xxxi.  i-ii  (S).     Bezalel  and  Oholiab. 

1-5.  Bezalel  is  divinely  called  and  inspired  to  work  in  metal 
and  wood, 

6.  assisted  by  Oholiab,  and  other  inspired  craftsmen, 
7-1 1,  to  make  the  Tabernacle  and  its  furniture. 

1.  Bezalel  might  be  read  as  meaning  '  In  the  shadow  of  God,' 
also  the  name  of  a  post-exile  Jew,  Ezra  x.  30. 

3.  the  spirit  of  God,  an  impartation  of  the  Divine  energy  ;  cf, 
xxviii,  3. 

6.  hearts.  The  'heart'  in  Hebrew  is  more  often  the  seat  of 
intelligence  than  emotion. 

Oholiab,  perhaps  'father's  tent,'  which  seems  to  refer  to  his 
work  in  constructing  the  'Tent  of  Meeting'  ;  cf.  Ezekiel's  symbolic 
names  Oholibah,  Oholibamah.  The  writer  may  imply  that  this 
name  was  given  to  him  on  account  of  his  work. 


EXODUS  31.  9-rr.     S  .^3 

table  and  its  vessels,  and  the  pure  candlestick  with  all 
its   vessels,  and  the  altar  of  incense ;  and  the  altar  of  9 
burnt  offering  with  all  its  vessels,  and  the  laver  and  its 
base;   and  the  '"^finely  wrought  garments,  and  the  holy  10 
garments  for  Aaron  the  priest,  and  the  garments  of  his 
sons,  to  minister  in  the  priest's  ofifice;  and  the  anointing  ir 
oil,  and  the  incense  of  sweet  spices  for  the  holy  place  :  ac- 
cording to  all  that  I  have  commanded  thee  shall  they  do. 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  thou  12, 13 
also  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying.  Verily  ye  shall 
keep  my  sabbaths :  for  it  is  a  sign  between  me  and  you 
throughout  your  generations ;  that  ye  may  know  that  I 
am  the  Lord  which  sanctify  you.     Ye  shall  keep  the  14 
sabbath  therefore  ;  for  it  is  holy  unto  you  :  every  one 
that  profaneth  it  shall  surely  be  put  to  death  :  for  whoso- 
ever doeth  any  work  therein,  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from 
among  his  people.     Six  days  shall  work  be  done ;    but  15 
on  the  seventh  day  is  a  sabbath  of  solemn  rest,  holy  to 
*  Some  ancient  versions  render,  garments  of  service. 

10.  finely  wroug'ht  gfarments  :  we  should  probably  follow  the 
versions  mentioned  in  the  margin,  and  read 'garments  of  service.' 
The  difference  in  Hebrew  is  only  part  of  a  letter. 

xxxi.  12-17.     The  Sabbaths. 

12-14  rt.  The  Sabbath  is  to  be  observed  ;  Sabbath-breakers  to 
be  put  to  death, 

14  b-\6.  The  Sabbath  is  to  be  observed  ;  Sabbath-breakers  to  be 
put  to  death. 

17.  The  Sabbath  a  sign  between  Yahweh  and  Israel.  At  the 
Creation  Yahweh  rested  on  the  Seventh  Day. 

Sources,  &c.  One  of  the  Priestly  equivalents  of  the  Fourth 
Commandment.  The  repetitions  indicate  compilation  from  various 
sources  or  the  presence  of  later  additions. 

14.  shall  surely  be  put  to  death  .  .  .  shall  be  cut  off  fooni 
amon?  his  people.  The  combination  indicates  the  intention  to 
*  cut  off  from  among  his  people' :  cf.  also  verse  15.  According  to 
Num.  XV.  32-36,  P,  a  man  who  gathered  sticks  on  the  Sabbath  was 
stoned  to  death.     Cf.  on  xii.  15. 

15.  a  sabbath    of  solemn  rest.     Heb.    slinbbath   sliabbdt/ion. 


244  EXODUS  31.  16— 32.  i.     SE 

the  Lord  :  whosoever  doeth  any  work  in  the  sabbath 

16  day,  he  shall  surely  be  put  to  death.  Wherefore  the 
children  of  Israel  shall  keep  the  sabbath,  to  observe  the 
sabbath  throughout  their  generations,   for   a   perpetual 

17  covenant.  It  is  a  sign  between  me  and  the  children  of 
Israel  for  ever :  for  in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven 
and  earth,  and  on  the  seventh  day  he  rested,  and  was 
refreshed. 

18  And  he  gave  unto  Moses,  when  he  had  made  an  end 
of  communing  with  him  upon  mount  Sinai,  the  two  tables 
of  the  testimony^  [E]  tables  of  stone,  written  with  the 
finger  of  God. 

32      And  when  the  people  saw  that  Moses  delayed  to  come 

*  a  sabbath  of  sabbatic  obser\'ance,'  'a.  specially  sacred  sabbath.' 
The  phrase  is  also  applied  to  the  Day  of  Atonement,  and  the 
Sabbatical  Year.    Sabbdthon  by  itself  is  used  of  the  Feast  of  Trum- 
pets, and  certain  days  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 
\*I.  Cf.  XX.  II. 

xxxi.  18— xxxii.  35.    The  Golden  Calf  (E  R). 
xxxi.  18  (S  E).     Yahweh  gives  Moses  the  Two  Tables. 

xxxii.  1-4  (E\  On  account  of  Moses'  prolonged  absence  the 
people  induce  Aaron  to  make  a  molten  image  of  a  calf  in  gold, 
which  they  hail  as  the  god  which  brought  them  out  of  Egypt. 

5-6  (E).  Aaron  builds  an  altar  before  the  Calf,  and  celebrates 
a  feast  to  Yahweh. 

7-14  (R).  Yahweh  bids  Moses  go  down  ;  He  tells  him  what  the 
people  have  done  ;  and  declares  that  He  will  destroy  the  people 
and  make  Moses  the  ancestor  of  a  great  nation.  Moses  intercedes, 
and  Yahweh  relents. 

15  (E  R  S).  Moses  comes  down  from  the  Mount  with  the  Two 
Tables. 

16  ff.  (E).     Joshua  and  Moses  hear  the  noise  in  the  camp. 

19  f.  (E).  Coming  nearer,  Moses  sees  the  Calf  and  the  dancing  ; 
he  throws  down  the  Tables  and  breaks  them ;  grinds  the  Calf  to 
powder,  and  makes  the  people  drink  water  in  which  the  powder 
has  been  strown. 

21-24  (E).  He  reproaches  Aaron,  who  pleads  that  he  acted 
under  constraint. 

35-29.  (J).  At  the  command  of  Moses  the  Levites  massacre 
3,000  of  the  people. 


EXODUS  32.   I.     E  245 

down  from  the  mount,  the  people  gathered  themselves 
together  unto  Aaron,  and  said  unto  him,  Up,  make  us 

30-34  (R).  Moses  intercedes  with  Yahweh  for  the  people,  and 
asks  that  if  they  are  destroyed  he  may  share  their  fate.  Yahweh 
answers  that  He  will  deal  with  each  man  according  to  his  desert. 
Moses  is  to  lead  the  people  to  Canaan  ;  Yahweh's  Angel  will  go 
before  them  ;  and  in  due  season  Yahweh  will  punish  them. 

35  (E).     Yahweh  sends  a  plague  amongst  the  people. 

Sources,  &c.  The  various  repetitions  and  discrepancies  show 
that  this  section  includes  work  from  several  hands.  Thus  in  7  f. 
Yahweh  tells  Moses  what  is  happening,  but  in  16  ff.  Joshua  and 
Moses  are  taken  by  surprise  by  what  they  see  and  hear.  Again, 
in  9  ff.  Yahweh  declares  that  He  will  destroy  the  people,  but 
Moses  intercedes,  and  He  relents.  Nevertheless  in  31  f.  Moses 
intercedes  as  if  he  knew  nothing  of  Yahweh's  relenting.  Punish- 
ments are  heaped  upon  the  unhappy  people  ;  they  are  compelled 
to  drink  water  with  which  the  dust  of  the  Calf  has  been  mixed, 
verse  20  ;  3,000  are  massacred,  verse  28  ;  and  the  people  are 
smitten  with  a  plague,  verse  35.  Yet  verse  34  speaks  of  the 
punishment  as  postponed  to  some  uncertain  future.  Aaron,  the 
most  conspicuous  culprit,  gets  off  scot-free  ;  but  that  is  what  often 
happens  in  real  life. 

It  is  generally  held  that  a  narrative  from  the  Elohistic  Document, 
E,  is  the  basis  of  this  chapter,  and  that  there  is  no  trace  of  P ;  but 
there  is  no  agreement  as  to  the  details  of  the  analysis.  It  is  un- 
certain which  verses,  &c.,  are  E,  which  J,  and  which  by  later 
hands.  It  is  also  possible  that  the  E  narrative  belonged  to  the 
later  portions  of  that  document.  The  analysis  given  in  the  text  is 
only  put  forward  as  one  out  of  many  possible  divisions  of  the  text. 
Where  so  much  is  doubtful,  it  seemed  convenient  to  prefer  what  is 
comparatively  simple. 

Any  attempt  to  recover  the  original  tradition  represented  by  this 
chapter  is  beset  with  many  difficulties.  The  following  suggestions 
are  made  with  great  diffidence. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Bethel  was  long  regarded  as 
a  legitimate  sanctuary  founded  by  Jacob  or  some  other  patriarch, 
Gen.  xxviii.  ii  ;  for  centuries  it  was  the  scene  of  the  official  wor- 
ship of  Yahweh  under  the  form  of  a  Calf.  The  original  form  of 
our  narrative  may  have  ascribed  the  origin  of  this  Calf  to  Moses, 
or  some  other  ancient  worthy.  When  both  Bethel  and  its  Calf 
were  discredited,  it  was  felt  that  the  Calf  was  ancient,  it  must 
have  been  made  not  by  Moses,  but  in  spite  of  Moses.  Our 
chapter  is  the  result  of  a  long  literary  process  influenced  by  this 
and  similar  reflections. 

The  part  assigned  to  Aaron  is  puzzling;  Aaron  is  usually  con- 


246  EXOi:>US  32.  2-S.     E  R 

^  gods,  which  shall  go  before  us  ;  for  as  for  this  Moses, 
the  man  that  brought  us  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  we 
a  know  not  what  is  become  of  him.  And  Aaron  said  unto 
them,  Break  off  the  golden  rings,  which  are  in  the  ears 
of  your  wives,  of  your  sons,  and  of  your  daughters,  and 

3  bring  them  unto  me.  And  all  the  people  brake  off  the 
golden  rings  which  were  in  their  ears,  and  brought  them 

4  unto  Aaron.  And  he  received  it  at  their  hand,  and 
fashioned  it  with  a  graving  tool,  and  made  it  a  molten 
calf:  and  they  said,  ^^  These  be  thy  gods,  O  Israel,  which 

5  brought  thee  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  when 
Aaron  saw  f/iis,  he  built  an  altar  before  it ;  and  Aaron 
made  proclamation,  and  said,  To-morrow  shall  be  a  feast 

6  to  the  Lord.  And  they  rose  up  early  on  the  morrow, 
and  offered  burnt  offerings,  and  brought  peace  offerings  ; 
and  the  people  sat  down  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  rose  up 
to  play. 

J-      [R]  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  Go,  get  thee 
down ;  for  thy  people,  which  thou  broughtest  up  out  of 
8  the  land  of  Egypt,  have  corrupted  themselves  :  they  have 
•^  Or.  a  god  ''Or,  TJiis  is  thy  god 


nected  with  the  Ark  and  its  priesthood  at  Shiloh  and  Jerusalem, 
and  not  with  Bethel.  It  is  possible — the  idea  of  course  is  a  mere 
conjecture — that  at  one  time  there  was  an  image  of  Yahweh 
in  the  form  of  a  Calf  in  the  Temple,  and  its  construction  was 
attributed  to  Aaron,  the  connexion  being  regarded  as  honour- 
able both  to  him  and  to  the  image.  The  present  narrative  takes 
a  different  view,  but  does  its  best  to  excuse  him  ;  he  acted  under 
compulsion,  hardly  knowing  what  he  did,  verses  22-24. 

1.  ffods,  rather,  as  marg.,  *  a  god.' 

4.  fashioned  it  with  a  graving^  tool,  and  made  it  a  molten 

calf.  One  does  not  fashion  metal  with  a  graving  tool,  before 
melting  it.  The  former  clause  may  be  a  mistaken  reading,  or  the 
two  clauses  may  come  from  different  sources.  The  Egyptian  god 
Apis  was  worshipped  in  the  form  of  a  calf. 

6.  play,  probably  a  euphemism  for  immoral  orgies. 


EXODUS  32.  g-ir,.     R  E  R  E  S  E  247 

turned  aside  quickly  out  of  the  way  which  I  commanded 
them  :  they  have  made  them  a  molten  calf,  and  have  wor- 
shipped it,  and  have  sacrificed  unto  it,  and  said,  These  be 
thy  gods,  O  Israel,  which  brought  thee  up  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt.     And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  I  have  9 
seen  this  people,  and,  behold,  it  is  a  stiffnecked  people : 
now  therefore  let  me  alone,  that  my  wrath  may  wax  hot  10 
against  them,  and  that  I  may  consume  them  :  and  I  will 
make  of  thee  a  great  nation.     And  Moses  besought  the  n 
Lord  his  God,  and  said,  Lord,  why  doth  thy  wrath 
wax  hot  against  thy  people,  which  thou  hast  brought 
forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  with  great  power  and  with 
a  mighty  hand?  Wherefore  should  the  Egyptians  speak,  12 
saying,  For  evil  did  he  bring  them  forth,  to  slay  them  in 
the  mountains,  and  to  consume  them  from  the  face  of 
the  earth  ?  Turn  from  thy  fierce  wrath,  and  repent  of 
this  evil  against  thy  people.     Remember  Abraham,  Isaac,  i.^ 
and  Israel,  thy  servants,  to  whom  thou  swarest  by  thine 
own  self,  and  saidst  unto  them,  I  will  multiply  your  seed 
as  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  all  this  land  that  I  have 
spoken  of  will  I  give  unto  your  seed,  and  they  shall 
inherit  it  for  ever.     And  the  Lord  repented  of  the  evil  14 
which  he  said  he  would  do  unto  his  people. 

[E]  And  Moses   turned,  and   went   down   from   the  15 
mount,    with   the   two   tables      [R]    of   the    testimony 
[E]  in  his  hand :  [S]  tables  that  were  written  on  both 
their  sides ;  on  the  one  side  and  on  the  other  were  they 
written.     [E]  And  the  tables  were  the  work  of  God,  and  16 


12.  repent,  a  natural,  almost  necessary,  anthropomorphism. 
Whatever  theological  views  we  may  hold  as  to  the  unchangeable- 
ness  of  the  Divine  purpose,  the  course  alike  of  Providence  and  of 
spiritual  experience  often  impress  us  as  a  relenting  on  the  part  of 
God  ;  cf.  on  Gen.  vi.  6f. 


248  EXODUS  32.  17-25.     E  J 

the  writing  was  the  writing  of  God,  graven  upon  the 

17  tables.  And  when  Joshua  heard  the  noise  of  the  people 
as  they  shouted,  he  said  unto  Moses,  There  is  a  noise  of 

18  war  in  the  camp.  And  he  said,  It  is  not  the  voice  of 
them  that  shout  for  mastery,  neither  is  it  the  voice  of 
them  that  cry  for  being  overcome  :  but  the  noise  of  them 

19  that  sing  do  I  hear.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  soon  as  he 
came  nigh  unto  the  camp,  that  he  saw  the  calf  and  the 
dancing  :  and  Moses'  anger  waxed  hot,  and  he  cast  the 
tables  out  of  his  hands,  and  brake  them  beneath  the 

20  mount.  And  he  took  the  calf  which  they  had  made,  and 
burnt  it  with  fire,  and  ground  it  to  powder,  and  strewed 
it  upon  the  water,  and  made  the  children  of  Israel  drink 

2 1  of  it.  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  What  did  this  people 
unto  thee,  that  thou  hast  brought  a  great  sin  upon  them  ? 

2  3  And  Aaron  said.  Let  not  the  anger  of  my  lord  wax  hot : 

23  thou  knowest  the  people,  that  they  are  set  on  evil.  For 
they  said  unto  me,  Make  us  gods,  which  shall  go  before 
us :  for  as  for  this  Moses,  the  man  that  brought  us  up 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  we  know  not  what  is  become 

24  of  him.  And  I  said  unto  them.  Whosoever  hath  any 
gold,  let  them  break  it  off ;   so  they  gave  it  me :    and  I 

25  cast  it  into  the  fire,  and  there  came  out  this  calf.    [J]  And 


18.  shout  .  .  .  cry  .  .  .  sing*.  Each  of  these  three  words 
renders  the  same  Hebrew  consonants  ;  as  'shout'  and  'cry'  both 
have  a  qualifying  phrase,  probably  some  such  phrase  has  been  lost 
after  'sing-.'  The  Septuagint  has  'for  wine.'  Other  versions 
understand  'the  sound  of  transgressions.' 

20.  burnt  it.     The  image  would  be  cast  over  a  wooden  core, 
made  the  children  of  Israel  drink  of  it.     Perhaps,  as  in 
the  ordeal  of  the  wife  suspected  of  adultery,  Num.  v.  11-31,  it  is 
implied  that  this  drinking  would  cause  disease  in  those  guiltj'  of 
idolatry  ;  hence  the  plague  in  verse  35. 

25-29.  It  is  not  certain  that  these  verses  originally  had  anything 
to   do   with    the   episode   of  the    Golden   Calf;   they  may  have 


EXODUS  32.  26-29.     J  R  J  249 

when  Moses  saw  that   the   people  were  broken   loose; 
[R]  for  Aaron  had  let  them  loose  for  a  ^  derision  among 
their  enemies :  [J]  then  Moses  stood  in  the  gate  of  the  camp,  26 
and  said,  Whoso  is  on  the  Lord's  side,  /e/  Mm  come 
unto  me.     And  all  the  sons  of  Levi  gathered  themselves 
together  unto  him.     And  he  said  unto  them,  Thus  saith  27 
the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel,  Put  ye  every  man  his  sword 
upon  his  thigh,  and  go  to  and  fro  from  gate  to  gate 
throughout  the  camp,  and  slay  every  man  his  brother, 
and  every  man  his  companion,  and  every  man  his  neigh- 
bour.    And  the  sons  of  Levi  did  according  to  the  word  28 
of  Moses :  and  there  fell  of  the  people  that  day  about 
three   thousand   men.     And   Moses   said,  ^  Consecrate  29 
yourselves  to-day  to  the  Lord,  c  yea,  every  man  ^  against 
his  son,  and  ^  against  his  brother ;   that  he  may  bestow 

*  Heb.  whispering.  ^  Heb.  Fill  your  hand. 

*=  Or,  for  every  nian  hath  been  against  his  son  and  against  his 
brother 
''  Or,  upon 

belonged  to  an  account  of  some  other  of  the  many  rebellions  of  the 
Israelites.  The  ascription  to  J  is  not  made  with  any  confidence ; 
cf.  above. 

25.  were  broken  loose,  cast  off  restraint. 

for  a  derision  amongf  their  enemies.  There  is  nothing 
here  to  explain  the  reference  to  'enemies,*  which  seems  to 
indicate  that  the  paragraph  originally  stood  in  a  different  context ; 
cf.  next  note. 

26.  This  verse  implies  that  the  misdoing  of  the  Israelites  was 
some  disloyalty  against  Yahweh,  therefore  not  the  making  of  an 
image  of  Yahweh.     The  Levites  had  remained  faithful. 

27.  every  man  his  brother,  &c.  As,  according  to  verse  26, 
all  the  Levites  were  for  Yahweh,  these  phrases  must  refer  to  their 
fellow  Israelites. 

29.  Consecrate  yourselves.  Cf.  xxviii.  41.  The  exact  reading 
and  translation  here  are  doubtful.  The  Septuagint  partly  suggests 
*  ye  have  consecrated  yourselves.'  The  general  sense  is  clear  : 
the  Levites  were  invested  with  the  priesthood — not  necessarily 
an  exclusive  priesthood  — as  a  reward  for  their  loyalty  on  this 
occasion  ;  cf.  Deut.  xxxiii.  9. 


250  EXODUS  32.  30—33.  i.     J  R  E  J 

:,o  upon  you  a  blessing  this  day.  [R]  And  it  came  to  pass 
on  the  morrow,  that  Moses  said  unto  the  people,  Ye 
have  sinned  a  great  sin  :  and  now  I  will  go  up  unto  the 
Lord  ;   peradventure  I  shall  make  atonement  for  your 

31  sin.  And  Moses  returned  unto  the  Lord,  and  said,  Oh, 
this  people  have  sinned  a  great  sin,  and  have  made  them 

33  gods  of  gold.  Yet  now,  if  thou  wilt  forgive  their  sin —  ; 
and  if  not,  blot  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  thy  book  which 

33  thou  hast  written.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses, 
Whosoever  hath  sinned  against  me,  him  will  I  blot  out 

34  of  my  book.  And  now  go,  lead  the  people  unto  the  place 
of  which  I  have  spoken  unto  thee :  behold,  mine  angel 
shall  go  before  thee :    nevertheless  in  the  day  when  I 

35  visit,  I  will  visit  their  sin  upon  them.  [E]  And  the  Lord 
smote  the  people,  because  they  made  the  calf,  which 
Aaron  made. 

33      [J]  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  Depart,  go  up 


30.    Z  shall  make  atonement,  K P  R,  as  usual ;    cf.  xxv.   17. 

Tliere  is  no  question  of  Moses  appeasing  Yahweh  by  sacrifices. 
Apparently  he  proposes  to  atone  for  the  sin  of  the  people  by 
offering  himself  as  a  victim — a  proposal  which  Yahweh  declines. 

32.  if  thou  wilt  forgive  their    sin — .     The   broken    words 
give  striking  expression  to  Moses'  deep  feeling. 

blot  me  .  .  .  out  of  thy  book,  i.  e.  expunge  my  name  from 
the  roll  of  God's  people,  implying  destruction  by  death.  This 
figure  of  the  book  is  also  found  in  Ps.  Ixix.  28  ;  Isa.  iv.  3  ;  Dan. 
xii,  I  ;  Mai.  iii.  16. 

33.  Cf.  Ezek.  xviii. 

34.  mine  angel.     Yahweh  does  not  go  Himself. 

xxxiii.     Instructions  and  Discussions  concerning  the 
March  after  leaving  Sinai. 
1-4  (J)«     Yahweh  bids  Moses  and  Israel  leave  Sinai  for  Canaan. 
He  will  not  go  with  them,  but  will  send  His  angel. 
At  these  evil  tidings  the  people  mourn,  and  do  not  put  on  their 
ornamerLs. 

5,  6  (R  E).     At  the  command  of  Yahweh  the  people  take  oflftheir 
ornaments. 


EXODUS  33.  2-1.     J  R  251 

hence,  thou  and  the  people  which  thou  hast  brought  up 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  unto  the  land  of  which  I  sware 
unto  Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob,  saying,  Unto  thy 
seed  will  I  give   it :    and  I  will  send  an  angel  before  * 
thee;  and  I  will  drive  out  the  Canaanite,  the  Amorite, 
and  the  Hittite,  and  the  Perizzite,  the  Hivite,  and  the 
Jebusite  :  unto  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  :    for  3 
I  will  not  go  up  in  the  midst  of  thee ;  for  thou  art  a 
stiffnecked  people  :    lest  I  consume  thee  in  the  way. 
And  when  the   people   heard   these   evil   tidings,  they  4 
mourned :    and  no  man  did  put  on  him  his  ornaments. 
[R]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Say  unto  the  chil-  5 
dren  of  Israel,  Ye  are  a  stiffnecked  people  :    if  I  go  up 
into  the  midst  of  thee  for  one  moment,  I  shall  consume 
thee  :    therefore  now  put  off  thy  ornaments  from  thee, 


7-1 1  ^E).  Moses'  practice  was  'whenever  Israel  encamped)  to 
pitch  the  Sacred  Tent  at  some  distance  from  the  camp.  Moses 
used  to  go  out  to  the  Tent  to  meet  with  Yahweh,  who  descended 
in  a  pillar  of  cloud.  Joshua  ben  Nun  was  the  custodian  of  the 
Tent. 

12-23  (R).  Moses  seeks  the  favour  and  help  of  Yahweh  for  his 
leadership.  '  Yahweh  promises  that  His  Presence  shall  go  with 
Israel ;  He  declares  that  Moses  enjoj's  His  favour.  Moses  begs 
that  he  may  see  the  Glory  of  Yahweh.  Yahweh  replies  that  He 
will  proclaim  His  Name  ;  Moses  cannot  see  His  face  ;  but  Yahweh 
will  show  him  His  back. 

Sources,  SiC.  There  is  general  agreement  as  to  the  ascription 
of  verses  7-1 1  to  E,  and  as  to  the  presence  of  passages  from  J 
with  later  additions  in  the  rest  of  the  chapter.  Verses  12-23  ni^y 
not  have  belonged  to  the  original  J. 

Note  the  inconsistency  between  4  b,  where  the  people  do  not 
put  on  their  ornaments,  and  5  f.,  where  they  take  them  off  at  the 
bidding  of  Yahweh. 

Again,  in  11  Yahweh  speaks  to  Moses  face  to  face,  as  a  man  to 
his  friend  ;  but  in  verse  20  he  may  not  see  His  face.  See  also 
notes  on  7-1 1,  12-23. 

1,  Cf.  ii.  24. 

2  f.  Cf  iii.  8,  xxiii.  20. 


252  EXODUS  33.  6-11.     R  E 

6  that  I  may  know  what  to  do  unto  thee.  [E]  And  the 
children  of  Israel  stripped  themselves  of  their  ornaments 
from  mount  Horeb  onward. 

7  Now  Moses  used  to  take  the  tent  and  to  pitch  it  without 
the  camp,  afar  off  from  the  camp ;  and  he  called  it, 
The  tent  of  meeting.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  every 
one  which  sought  the  Lord  went  out  unto  the  tent  of 

8  meeting,  which  was  without  the  camp.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  Moses  went  out  unto  the  Tent,  that  all  the 
people  rose  up,  and  stood,  every  man  at  his  tent  door, 
and  looked  after  Moses,  until  he  was  gone  into  the  Tent. 

9  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Moses  entered  into  the  Tent, 
the  pillar  of  cloud  descended,  and  stood  at  the  door  of 

10  the  Tent :  and  tJie  Lord  spake  with  Moses.  And  all  the 
people  saw  the  pillar  of  cloud  stand  at  the  door  of  the 
Tent :  and  all  the  people  rose  up  and  worshipped,  every 

11  man  at  his  tent  door.  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses 
face  to  face,  as  a  man  speaketh  unto  his  friend.  And  he 
turned  again  into  the  camp :  but  his  minister  Joshua, 
the  son  of  Nun,  a  young  man,  departed  not  out  of  the 
Tent. 


6.  stripped  themselves.  The  word  for  'strip'  is  that  used  in 
Hi.  22  for  'spoil,'  in  'they  spoiled  the  Egyptians.' 

7-1  r.  The  Tent  in  this  paragraph  is  clearly  the  Sanctuary;  but, 
according  to  chapters  xxv  f.,  xxxvff.,  P,  the  Sanctuary  was  not 
yet  in  existence.  Moreover,  in  P,  the  Sanctuary  is  in  the  middle  of 
the  camp,  Num.  ii,  and  is  in  charge  of  Aaron  and  his  family  and 
the  Levites  ;  here  it  is  at  some  distance  outside,  and  is  in  charge 
of  the  Ephraimite  Joshua,  who,  according  to  P,  would  apparently 
have  been  excluded  from  the  Tabernacle.  The  passage  has  no 
connexion  with  its  present  context  ;  it  was  probably  the  sequel 
to  E's  account  of  the  construction  of  the  Tent,  which  has  been 
omitted  to  make  room  for  P's  elaborate  specifications. 

7.  tent  of  meeting' :  cf.  xxvii.  21. 
11.  minister  :  cf.  xxiv.  13. 

Joshua:  cf.  xvii.  9. 


EXODUS  33.  12-16.     R  253 

[R]  And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord^  See^  thou  sayest  12 
unto  me,  Bring  up  this  people  :  and  thou  hast  not  let  me 
know  '^whom  thou  wilt  send  with  me.     Yet  thou  hast 
said,  I  know  thee  by  name,  and  thou  hast  also  found 
grace  in  my  sight.     Now  therefore,  I  pray  thee,  if  I  have  13 
found  grace  in  thy  sight,  shew  me  now  thy  ways,  that  I 
may  know  thee,  to  the  end  that  I  may  find  grace  in  thy 
sight :  and  consider  that  this  nation  is  thy  people.     And  14 
he  said,  My  presence  shall  go  with  thee,  and  I  will  give 
thee  rest.     And  he  said  unto  him.  If  thy  presence  go  not  15 
with  me,  carry  us  not  up  hence.     For  wherein  now  shall  16 
it  be  known  that  I  have  found  grace  in  thy  sight,  I  and 
*  Or,  him  whotn 

12-23.  The  sequence  of  ideas  in  these  verses  is  difficult  to 
follow.  It  seems  as  if  the  original  arrangement  of  sentences  had 
been  accidentally  altered.  The  following  has  been  proposed  as 
a  probable  order  {Oxf.  Hex.)  : — 

17.  Yahweh  declares  his  goodwill  towards  Moses. 

12  f.  Moses  begs  that  Yahweh  will  show  this  goodwill  by 
clear  instructions,  '  Shew  me  now  Thy  ways.' 

14.     Yahweh  promises  that  His  Presence  shall  go  with  Israel. 

15  f.  Moses  replies  that  he  can  only  accomplish  his  mission  if 
Yahweh's  Presence  goes  with  Israel  and  if  Yahweh  gives  clear 
signs  that  Israel  is  His  Chosen  People. 

19.  Yahweh  promises  to  declare  His  Name,  to  reveal  His 
'goodness,' and  to  show  favour  according  to  His  sovereign  will. 

18.  Moses  begs  that  He  may  see  the  glory  of  Yahweh. 
20-23.     Yahweh  declines  to  show  Moses  His  face,  but  agrees 

to  show  him  His  back. 

One  cannot  be  certain  that  the  above  was  the  original  order, 
but  some  such  rearrangement  seems  needed. 

12.  I  know  thee  by  name,  &c.  This  'saying  of  Yahweh'  is 
only  found  in  verse  17  ;  of.  above. 

14.  My  presence,  lit.  '  my  face,'  not  actually  Yahweh  Himself, 
but  a  manifestation,  an  aifey  ego,  rather  more  closely  identified 
with  Him  than  was  the  Angel  of  Yahweh.  From  2  Sam.  xvii.  11 
we  gather  that  '  th}'  face'  was  a  courtier-like  mode  of  speaking  of 
a  king  to  himself,  like  *  Your  Majesty.' 

14.  give  thee  rest,  settle  Israel  in  Canaan. 

16.     A  tribal  deity  naturally  accompanied  His  people. 


254  EXODUS  33.  17— 31.  t.     E  J 

thy  people?  is  it  not  in  that  thou  goost  with  us,  so  that 
we  be  separated,  I  and  thy  people,  from  all  the  people 
that  are  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  ? 

17  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  I  will  do  this  thing 
also  that  thou  hast  spoken  :  for  thou  hast  found  grace  in 

18  my  sight,  and  I  know  thee  by  name.     And  he  said,  Shew 

19  me,  I  pray  thee,  thy  glory.  And  he  said,  I  will  make  all 
my  goodness  pass  before  thee,  and  will  proclaim  the 
name  of  the  Lord  before  thee ;  and  I  will  be  gracious  to 
whom  I  will  be  gracious,  and  will  shew  mercy  on  whom  I 

20  will  shew  mercy.  And  he  said.  Thou  canst  not  see  my  face  : 

21  for  man  shall  not  see  me  and  live.  And  the  Lord  said, 
Behold,  there  is  a  place  by  me,  and  thou  shalt  stand 

22  upon  the  rock  :  and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  while  my  glory 
passeth  by,  that  I  will  put  thee  in  a  cleft  of  the  rock,  and 
will  cover  thee  with  my  hand  until  I  have  passed  by  : 

23  and  I  will  take  away  mine  hand,  and  thou  shalt  see  my 
back :  but  my  face  shall  not  be  seen. 

34      [J]  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Hev;  thee  two 

separated  .  .  .  from  all  the  people,  distinguished  from  all 
others  by  the  exceptional  privilege  of  being  the  people  ofYahweli. 

the  people.  Read  '  the  peoples '  with  the  Septuagint  and 
the  Syriac. 

18.  gflory.     Cf.  xvi.  7. 

19.  goodness,  rather,  *  Beauty';  according  to  some  a  synonym 
for  'Glory';  but  perhaps  rather  some  less  complete  and  personal 
manifestation. 

name  :    cf.  iii.  13. 

to  whom  I  will  be  gfraclons,  i.  c.  to  nij'  Chosen  People. 

20.  Cf.  Gen.  xvi.  13,  xxxii.  30. 

my  face,  the  same  words  as  'My  Presence'  in  verse  14, 
which  see. 

xxxiv.  1-28.    The  (Second  Set  of)  Two  Tables  with  Ten 

Commandments. 

(An  annotated  extract  from  the  Primitive  Document,  J.) 

r  vj  [R])-  Moses  is  to  prepare  two  tables  of  stone  (like  those 
which  he  broke,  and  Yahwcli  will  write  upon  them). 


EXODUS  31.   r.     J  R  J  255 

tables  of  stone  [R]  like  unto  the  first :  [J]  and  I  will 
write  upon  the  tables  the  words  that  were  on  the  first 


2-5  (J  [R]).  Moses  is  to  ascend  Mount  Sinai  alone.  Moses 
obeys  ;  Yahweh  descends  in  a  cloud,  and  Moses  worships  Him, 

6-9  (R).  Yahweh  passes  before  Moses  and  proclaims  His  Name. 
Moses  worships  and  intercedes  for  the  people. 

10-13  (J  [R]).  Yahweh  enters  into  a  covenant  with  Israel. 
(He  will  do  marvels  on  behalf  of  His  people  ;  they  are  to  drive 
out  all  the  inhabitants  of  Canaan,  and  destroy  their  altars  and 
images.) 

14-26.     THE  TEN   COMMANDMENTS  (J  [R]). 

I.    14.     Only  Yahiveh  is  to  be  worshipped. 

(15,  16.     There  is  to  be  no  intermarriage  with 
the  Canaanites.) 
n.   17.     No  molten  images  are  to  be  made. 
HI.   18.      The  Feast  of  Unleavened  Bread  is  to  be  observed  seven  days. 

(In  the  month  Abib,  as  Yahweh  commanded.) 
IV.   igf.     Firstling  of  oxen  and  sheep  are  to  be  given  to  Yahweh. 
Firstling  of  ass  and  the  firstborn  of  men  are  to  be 
redeemed. 
V.  21.     The  Sabbath  shall  be  observed. 

VI.  22.     Feasts  are  to  be  observed  at  the  Harvest  and  the  Vintage. 
VII.  23.     Three  times  in  the  year  all  males  are  to  appear  before 
Yahweh. 
(34.     Yahweh  will  cast  out  their  enemies  and  ex- 
tend their  territory  ;  and  no  one  will  attack  them 
when  they  are  keeping  a  feast.) 
VIII.  25  a.     Leavened  bread  not  to  be  offered  with  sacrifices. 

(25  b.    The  Passover  not  to  be  left  till  the  morning.) 
IX.  26  a.     Firstfruits  to  be  offered  at  a  Sanctuary. 
X.  26  b.     A  kid  not  to  be  boiled  in  its  mothe/s  milk. 

27  f.  (])'  At  the  command  of  Yahweh  Moses  writes  these  Ten 
Words  on  the  Tables  ;  spending  forty  days  and  nights  on  the 
Mount  with  Yahweh  without  food  or  drink. 

Sources,  &c.  In  this  chapter  we  have  the  account  given  by  the 
Primitive  Document,  J,  of  the  Two  Tables  of  Stone  and  the 
Covenant  between  Yahweh  and  Israel.  There  are  many  similari- 
ties between  these  two  corresponding  sections  of  J  and  E. 
Originally,  no  doubt,  both  stood — each  in  its  own  document — as  the 
immediate  sequel  of  the  appearance  of  Yahweh  on  Sinai  ;    the 


256  EXODUS  34.  2-6.     J  R  J  R  J  R 

2  tables,  [R]  which  thou  brakest.  [J]  And  be  ready  by 
the  morning,  and  come  up  in  the  morning  unto  mount 
Sinai,  and  present  thyself  there  to  me  on  the  top  of  the 

3  mount.  And  no  man  shall  come  up  with  thee,  neither 
let  any  man  be  seen  throughout  all  the  mount ;   neither 

4  let  the  flocks  nor  herds  feed  before  that  mount.  And 
he  hewed  two  tables  of  stone  [R]  like  unto  the  first ; 
[J]  and  Moses  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  went 
up  unto  mount  Sinai,  as  the  Lord  had  commanded  him, 

5  and  took  in  his  hand  two  tables  of  stone.  And  the 
Lord  descended  in  the  cloud,   '"^and  stood  with  him 

6  there,  and  proclaimed  ^  the  name  of  the  Lord.    [R]  And 

the  Lord  passed  by  before  him,  and  proclaimed,  The 

*  Or,  attd  he  stood  with  htm  there,  and  called  upon  &c. 
^  Or,  Jehovah  by  name 

present  position  of  J's  version  is  due  to  the  editor,  who,  wishing 
to  inckide  both,  found  room  for  J's  account  by  making  it  a  sequel 
instead  of  a  parallel  to  that  of  E.  Each  contains  a  set  of  'Ten 
Words,'  which,  in  each  case,  is  probably  older  than  J  or  E 
respectively.  Each  has  been  somewhat  freely  annotated.  There 
is  much  material  common,  word  for  word,  between  the  two  ;  and 
the  same  ancient  document  may  be  one  of  the  sources  of  both.  It 
is  also  possible  that  editors  or  copj'ists  supplemented  later  editions 
of  E  from  J  and  vice  versa,  just  as  copies  of  the  Synoptic  Gospels 
were  supplemented  from  each  other. 

J's  'Ten  Words '  are  purely  ritual,  and  do  not  include  the  ethical 
precepts  found  in  E. 

1.  I  will  write.  In  verses  27^.  Moses  writes  the  words  that 
were  on  the  first  tables.  But,  according  to  verse  27,  what  was 
written  was  the  substance  of  verses  10-26,  something  very  different 
from  the  Ten  Words  on  the  Tables  of  chapter  xx.  These  dis- 
crepancies indicate  a  later  addition  ;  or  according  to  some,  all 
verse  i  belongs  to  E. 

3.  Parallel  to  xix.  116-13,  21,  24. 

5.  proclaimed  the  name  of  the  LOBD,  worshipped  Him. 

6-9.  The  continuation  of  the  secondary  passage  xxxiii.  12-23. 
It  contains  one  of  the  most  exalted  descriptions  of  the  Divine 
Character  in  the  Bible,  still,  however,  retaining  the  doctrine  of 


EXODUS  34.  7-10.     R  J  R  257 

Lord,  the  Lord,  a  God  full  of  compassion  and  gracious, 
slow  to  anger,  and  plenteous  in  mercy  and  truth ;  ^  keeping  7 
mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity  and  transgression 
and  sin :    and  that  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty ; 
visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  and 
upon  the  children's  children,  upon  the  third  and  upon  the 
fourth  generation.     And  Moses  made  haste,  and  bowed  8 
his  head  toward  the  earth,  and  worshipped.     And  he  9 
said,  If  now  I  have  found  grace  in  thy  sight,  O  Lord,  let 
the  Lord,  I  pray  thee,  go  in  the  midst  of  us  ;    for  it  is  a 
stiffnecked  people ;  and  pardon  our  iniquity  and  our  sin, 
and   take  us  for  thine   inheritance.     [J]  And  he   said,  10 
Behold,  I  make  a  covenant :  [R]  before  all  thy  people  I 

*  See  ch.  xx,  5,  6. 


punishment  for  the  sins  of  ancestors,  which  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel 
repudiated. 

6.  A  similar  description  of  Yahweh  is  found  in  Ps.  Ixxxvi.  15, 
cxi.  4,  cxii.  4,  5,  cxlv.  8,  9.  It  is  not  safe  to  assume  that  any  four 
of  these  five  passages  (this  verse  and  the  Psahn  verses)  are 
quotations  from  the  fifth.  It  is  possible  that  some  such  description 
of  Yahweh  was  part  of  the  liturgy  of  some  Israelite  sanctuary, 
before  either  our  paragraph  or  the  Psalms  were  written. 

a  fall  of  compassion  and  gracions.  In  Hebrew  'full  of 
compassion  '  is  a  single  word,  rahiim,  which  is  quite  as  emphatic 
and  significant  as  the  English  phrase.  Both  these  terms  are  used 
only  of  God,  and  they  mostly  occur  together.  The  similar 
Arabic  phrase  'the  Merciful  and  Compassionate'  is  one  of  the 
favourite  Mohammedan  titles  of  God. 

7.  CL  XX.  5f. 

9.  The  natural  moral  frailty  of  man  is  here  made  a  ground  for 
claiming  Divine  forgiveness.  A  nation — 't  seems  to  be  implied — 
should  be  judged  and  dealt  with  according  to  the  bent  of  its 
character. 

10.  And  he  said,  Behold,  I  make  a  covenant.  The  continua- 
tion of  verse  5. 

before  all  thy  people  may  be  the  continuation  of  the  pre- 
ceding words  and  belong  to  J  ;  or,  as  R.  V.,  may  be  the  beginning  of 
a  new  sentence,  and  be  part  of  the  note. 


258  EXODUS  34.  11-16.     RJR 

will  do  marvels,  such  as  have  not  been  »  wrought  in  all 
the  earth,  nor  in  any  nation  :  and  all  the  people  among 
which  thou  art  shall  see  the  work  of  the  Lord,  for  it  is  a 

11  terrible  thing  that  I  do  with  thee.  Observe  thou  that 
which  I  command  thee  this  day  :  behold,  I  drive  out  be- 
fore thee  the  Amorite,  and  the  Canaanite,  and  the  Hittite, 
and   the  Perizzite,   and   the  Hivite,   and   the  Jebusite. 

12  Take  heed  to  thyself,  lest  thou  make  a  covenant  with 
the  inhabitants  of  the  land  whither  thou  goest,  lest  it  be 

13  for  a  snare  in  the  midst  of  thee  :  but  ye  shall  break  down 
their  altars,  and  dash  in  pieces  their  ^  pillars,  and  ye  shall 

14  cut  down  their  cAsherim  :  for  thou  shalt  worship  no 
other   god  :    [J]   for   the   Lord,    whose   name   is   Jea- 

15  lous,  is  a  jealous  God  :  [R]  lest  thou  make  a  covenant 
with  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  and  they  go  a  whoring 
after  their  gods,  and  do  sacrifice  unto  their  gods,  and  one 

16  call  thee  and  thou  eat  of  his  sacrifice ;  and  thou  take  of 

°-  Heb.  created.  ^  Or,  obelisks 

'^  Probably  the  wooden  symbols  of  a  goddess  Asherah. 

with  thee,  *  through  thee'  or  'on  thy  behalf.' 
11.  the  Amorite,  &c.  See  on  iii.  8. 
12  f.  Deut.  vii.  2,  5,  6. 

13.  pillars.     Cf.  xxiii.  24. 

Asherim.  The  ^asherd  was  a  wooden  pillar  erected  at  sanc- 
tuaries, perhaps  originally  a  sacred  tree,  and  then  a  pole  repre- 
senting a  sacred  tree.  In  early  times  the  'asherd  was  regarded 
as  a  legitimate  adjunct,  or  'ornament' — to  use  a  modern  ecclesi- 
astical term— of  the  worship  of  Yahweh  ;  but  it  was  condemned 
by  the  Deuteronomic  lawgivers,  doubtless  because  it  was  connected 
with  superstitious  ideas  and  practices.  Perhaps  ^asherd  is  some- 
times, e.  g.  I  Kings  xviii,  19,  the  name  of  a  Canaanitish  goddess 
of  Fortune ;  and  the  ^asherd,  the  sacred  pole,  may  have  been 
regarded  as  a  S3'mbol  of  this  deity. 

14.  Cf.  XX.  3,  5. 

15.  go  a  whoring".     In  the  Old  Testament  sexual  immorality- 
is  constantly  used  as  a  figure  for  idolatrous  worship. 

one  call  thee  and  thou  eat  of  his  sacrifice.  An  ordinary 
sacrifice  was  a  dinner-party  with  a  rather  elaborate  grace,  so  that 
it  was  difficult  to  have  social  relations  with  the  heathen  without 


EXODUS  34.  17-23.     R  J  R  J  259 

their  daughters  unto  thy  sons,  and  their  daughters  go  a 
whoring  after  their  gods,  and  make  thy  sons  go  a  whor- 
ing  after  their  gods.     [J]   Thou   shalt   make   thee   no  17 
molten  gods.     The  feast  of  unleavened  bread  shalt  thou  18 
keep.      Seven   days   thou   shalt  eat  unleavened  bread, 
[R]  as  I  commanded  thee,  at  the  time  appointed  in  the 
month  Abib  :    for  in  the  month  Abib  thou  camest  out 
from  Egypt.     [J]  All  that  openeth  the  womb  is  mine;  19 
and  all  thy  cattle  that  is  male,  the  firstlings  of  ox  and 
sheep.     And  the  firstling  of  an  ass  thou  shalt  redeem  20 
with  a  ^  lamb  :  and  if  thou  wilt  not  redeem  it,  then  thou 
shalt  break  its  neck.     All  the  firstborn  of  thy  sons  thou 
shalt  redeem.     And  none  shall  appear  before  me  empty. 
Six  days  thou  shalt  work,  but  on  the  seventh  day  thou  21 
shalt  rest :  in  plowing  time  and  in  harvest  thou  shalt  rest. 
And  thou  shalt  obseire  the  feast  of  weeks,  even  of  the  22 
firstfruits  of  wheat  harvest,  and  the  feast  of  ingathering  at 
the  year's  ^end.     Three  times  in  the  year  shall  all  thy  23 

*Or,  kid  ^Tleb.  revolution, 

being  implicated  in  their  idolatry.  The  same  problem  arose  as  to 
the  relations  of  the  early  Christians  with  Pagans,  Rom.  xiv.  13  ff.  ; 
I  Cor.  X.  i4flf. 

17.  molten  gfods.  The  prohibition  of  *  graven  images,'  xx.  4 
(which  see),  is  probably  intended  to  condemn  imagesof  all  kinds. 
Here  the  prohibition  is  limited  to  the  more  elaborate  and  expensive 
'  molten  images '  of  bronze,  silver,  and  gold,  which  were  connected 
with  Canaanite  culture  and  superstition.  Thesymbolicblocksofwood 
or  stone,  rough  hewn,  or  in  their  natural  state,  might  be  tolerated. 

18.  Cf.  xiii.  4,  6,  xxiii.  15. 

19.  Cf.  xiii.  12,  xxii.  29. 

20.  Cf.  xiii.  13,  15. 

21.  Cf.  XX.  8,  xxiii.  12. 

in  plowing  time  and  in  harvest  thou  shalt  rest,  i.  e.  even 
when  the  pressure  of  farmwork  might  tempt  men  to  break  the 
Sabbath. 

22.  weeks.  The  feast  ended  the  seven  weeks  of  harvest ;  cf. 
xxiii.  16. 

at  the  year's  end,  lit.  'at  the  turn,'  R.  V.  marg.,  'revolution,' 

S     2 


26o  EXODUS  34.  24-29.     J  R  J  R  J  P 

males  appear  before  the  Lord  God,  the  God  of  Israel. 

24  [R]  For  I  will  cast  out  nations  before  thee,  and  enlarge 
thy  borders  :  neither  shall  any  man  desire  thy  land,  when 
thou  goest  up  to  appear  before  the  Lord  thy  God  three 

25  times  in  the  year.  [J]  Thou  shalt  not  offer  the  blood  of 
my  sacrifice  with  leavened  bread ;  [R]  neither  shall  the 
sacrifice  of  the  feast  of  the  passover  be  left  unto  the 

26  morning.  [J]  The  first  of  the  firstfruits  of  thy  ground 
thou  shalt  bring  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord  thy  God. 

27  Thou  shalt  not  seethe  a  kid  in  its  mother's  milk.  And 
the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Write  thou  these  words  :  for 
after  the  tenor  of  these  words  I  have  made  a  covenant 

28  with  thee  and  with  Israel.  And  he  was  there  with 
the  Lord  forty  days  and  forty  nights  ;  he  did  neither  eat 
bread,  nor  drink  water.  And  he  wrote  upon  the  tables 
the  words  of  the  covenant,  the  ten  ^  commandments. 

29  [P]  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Moses  came  down  from 

*  Heb.  zvords. 

tequphath,  of  the  year.     In  xxiii.  16  (which  see)  the  corresponding 
phrase  is  lit.  'at  the  going  forth  of  the  year.' 

23.  Cf.  xxiii.  17. 

24.  The  author  of  this  verse  reflected  that  the  absence  of  all  the 
adult  male  population  at  some  considerable  distance  from  their 
homes  would  afford  an  excellent  opportunit}'  to  enemies.  Hence 
he  expresses  his  conviction  that  Yahweh  would  quench  the  hostile 
desires  of  Israel's  neighbours  at  these  seasons.  There  would  be 
a  'Truce  of  God,'  as  in  the  Middle  Ages.  The  annotator  assumes 
the  single  sanctuary  at  Jerusalem,  remote  from  Northern  Palestine. 
J,  of  course,  knows  nothing  of  such  limitation  of  public  worship. 

25.  Cf.  xxiii.  18. 

the  sacrifice,  apparently  the  Paschal  lamb. 

27.  Cf.  xxiii.  19. 

28.  And  he  wrote  :  *  he  '  ^  Moses.  Apparently  he  was  occupied 
for  forty  days  in  engraving  this  chapter  on  the  stones. 

xxxiv.  29-35.     Moses'  Veil. 
29  f.  (P).     When  Moses  came  down   from  Sinai  his  face  shone 
with  a  supernatural  light,  so  that  Aaron  and  the  Israelites  wrre 
afraid  to  come  near  him. 


EXODUS  34.  30-34.     P  S  261 

mount  Sinai  with  the  two  tables  of  the  testimony  in 

Moses'  hand,  when  he  came  down  from  the  mount,  that 

Moses  wist  not  that  the  skin  of  his  face  ^  shone  ^  by 

reason  of  his  speaking  with  him.     And  when  Aaron  and  3° 

all  the  children  of  Israel  saw  Moses,  behold,  the  skin  of 

his  face  shone ;  and  they  were  afraid  to  come  nigh  him. 

And  Moses  called  unto  them  ;  and  Aaron  and  all  the  31 

rulers  of  the  congregation  returned  unto  him  :  and  Moses 

spake  to  them.     And  afterward  all  the  children  of  Israel  32 

came  nigh  :  and  he  gave  them  in  commandment  all  that 

the  Lord  had  spoken  with  him  in  mount  Sinai.     And  33 

when  Moses  had  done  speaking  with  them,  he  put  a  veil 

on  his  face,     [S]  But  when  Moses  went  in  before  the  34 

Lord  to  speak  with  him,  he  took  the  veil  off,  until  he 

came  out ;  and  he  came  out,  and  spake  unto  the  children 

*Or,  sent  forth  beams  (Heb.  honis) 
^  Or,  uohile  he  talked  with  hint 

31  f.  (PV  But,  at  a  summons  from  Moses,  Aaron  and  tlie  rulers 
came  to  him,  and  received  his  report  as  to  the  instructions  given 
him  by  Yahweh.     These  he  afterwards  repeated  to  all  the  people. 

33  (P").  "When  he  had  finished  he  put  a  veil  on  his  face. 

34  f.  (S^.  It  was  Moses'  practice  to  wear  the  veil,  except  when 
he  was  communing  with  Yahweh,  or  reporting  to  the  people  what 
he  had  heard  from  Yahweh. 

Sources,  Sec.  P  naturally  suppresses  the  story  of  Aaron's  apos- 
tasy, and  therefore  also  the  breaking  of  the  first  tables.  Verses 
34  f.  are  an  editorial  attempt  to  explain  the  obscure  reference  to 
the  veil. 

29.  shone.  The  word  used  here,  qdratt,  only  occurs  in  this 
passage  ;  as  it  is  also  the  root  used  for  horn,  qeren,  it  is  translated 
in  the  Vulgate  and  elsewhere  *  was  provided  with  horns.'  Hence 
the  representations  of  Moses  with  horns. 

33.  a  veil.  The  word  thus  translated  only  occurs  in  this  passage. 
The  object  of  the  veil  would  be  to  prevent  the  Israelites  being 
distressed  by  continual  exposure  to  the  supernatural  radiance. 
The  explanation  of  2  Cor.  iii.  12-16,  that  Moses  wore  the  veil  that 
the  Israelites  might  not  sec  this  radiance  die  out,  does  not  suit 
the  context  here. 


262  EXODUS  34.  35—35.  4.     S  P  S 

35  of  Israel  that  which  he  was  commanded  ;  and  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  saw  the  face  of  Moses,  that  the  skin  of 
Moses' face  shone:  and  Moses  put  the  veil  upon  his  face 
again,  until  he  went  in  to  speak  with  him. 

35  [P]  And  Moses  assembled  all  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  said  unto  them,  These  are  the 
words  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded,  that  ye  should 

2  do  them.  ^  Six  days  shall  work  be  done,  but  on  the 
seventh  day  there  shall  be  to  you  an  holy  day,  a  sabbath 
of  solemn  rest  to  the  Lord  :  whosoever  doeth  any  work 

3  therein  shall  be  put  to  death.  Ye  shall  kindle  no  fire 
throughout  your  habitations  upon  the  sabbath  day. 

4  [S]  And  Moses  spake  unto  all  the  congregation  of  the 

*See  ch,  xxxi.  15. 

XXXV.  r-3.     The  Sabbath. 

1-3.  No  work  is  to  be  done  and  no  fire  kindled  on  the  Sabbath, 
the  transgressor  is  to  be  put  to  death 

2.  Cf.  xxxi.  15. 

3.  Cf.  xvi.  23. 

XXXV.  4 — xxxix. 

THE  CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  TABERNACLE  AND  ITS 
FURNITURE,  AND  THE  MAKING  OF  THE  PRIESTLY 
VESTMENTS  AND  ORNAMENTS  (S). 

Sources^  &c.  This  section  is  chiefly  an  account  of  the  carrying 
out  of  certain  of  the  instructions  recorded  in  xxv-xxviii,  and  was 
composed  by  one  of  the  later  Priestly  writers.  As  the  wording  of 
the  instructions  is  usually  followed  exactly,  with  only  the  neces- 
sary changes  of  person,  tense,  &c.,  it  has  not  been  necessary  to 
give  analysis  and  notes,  except  where  there  are  alterations. 

The  Septuagint  of  these  chapters  diflfers  very  widely  from  the 
present  Hebrew  text.  There  are  numerous  omissions,  both  long 
and  short,  and  the  order  of  the  various  sections  is  diflferent. 

XXXV.  4-29.      The  Collection,  &c. 

This  corresponds  to  xxv.  1-7,  supplemented  with  a  list  of  the 
various  parts  and  pieces  of  furniture,  &c.,  of  the  Tabernacle  ;  and 
a  statement  that  all  the  Israelites  responded  freely  and  liberally  to 
the  appeal  for  contributions. 


EXODUS  35.  5-:i.     S  263 

children  of  Israel,  saying,  This  is  the  thing  which  the 
Lord  commanded,  saying,  "  Take  ye  from  among  you  an  5 
offering  unto  the  Lord  :  whosoever  is  of  a  willing  heart, 
let  him  bring  it,  the  Lord's  offering ;  gold,  and  silver, 
and  brass  ;   and  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  6 
linen,  and  goats'  hair ;  and  rams'  skins  dyed  red,  and  7 
sealskins,  and  acacia  wood ;  and  oil  for  the  light,  and  8 
spices  for  the  anointing  oil,  and  for  the  sweet  incense  ;  and  9 
onyx  stones,  and  stones  to  be  set,  for  the  ephod,  and  for 
the  breastplate.     And  let  every  wise  hearted  man  among  10 
you  come,  and  make  all  that  the  Lord  hath  commanded ; 
the  tabernacle,  its  tent,  and  its  covering,  its  clasps,  and  n 
its  boards,    its  bars,    its   pillars,   and   its    sockets ;    the  12 
ark,  and  the  staves  thereof,    the   mercy-seat,    and   the 
veil  of  the  screen  ;    the  table,  and  its  staves,  and  all  its  13 
vessels,  and  the  ^  shewbread  ;    the  candlestick  also  for  14 
the  light,  and  its  vessels,  and  its  lamps,  and  the  oil  for 
the  light ;   and  the  altar  of  incense,  and  its  staves,  and  ^5 
the  anointing  oil,  and  the  sweet  incense,  and  the  screen 
for  the  door,  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle ;    the  altar  of  i<5 
burnt  offering,  with  its  grating  of  brass,  its  staves,  and  all 
its  vessels,  the  laver  and  its  base ;  the  hangings  of  the  court,  17 
the  pillars  thereof,  and  their  sockets,  and  the  screen  for 
the  gate  of  the  court ;  the  pins  of  the  tabernacle,  and  the  18 
pins  of  the  court,  and  their  cords  ;   the  c  finely  wrought  19 
garments,  for  ministering  in  the  holy  place,  the  holy  gar- 
ments for  Aaron  the  priest,  and  the  garments  of  his  sons,  to 
minister  in  the  priest's  office. 

And   all  the  congregation  of  the   children  of  Israel  20 
departed  from  the  presence  of  Moses.     And  they  came,  21 
every  one  whose  heart  stirred  him  up,  and  every  one 
whom  his  spirit  made  willing,  cuid  brought  the  Lord's 

*  See  ch.  xxv.  2-7.       ''  Or,  Presence-bread      '  See  ch.  xxxi.  ro. 


264  EXODUS  35.  22-29.     S 

offering,  for  the  work  of  the  tent  of  meetings  and  for  all  the 
22  service  thereof,  and  for  the  holy  garments.  And  they 
came,  both  men  and  women,  as  many  as  were  willing 
hearted,  and  brought  brooches,  and  ^earrings,  and  signet- 
rings,  and  ^  armlets,  all  jewels  of  gold  ;  even  every  man 
33  that  offered  an  offering  of  gold  unto  the  Lord.  And 
every  man,  with  whom  was  found  blue,  and  purple,  and 
scarlet,  and  fine  linen,  and  goats'  hair^  and  rams'  skins 

24  dyed  red,  and  sealskins,  brought  them.  Every  one  that 
did  offer  an  offering  of  silver  and  brass  brought  the 
Lord's  offering :  and  every  man,  with  whom  was  found 
acacia   wood   for  any  work  of  the  service,  brought  it. 

25  And  all  the  women  that  were  wise  hearted  did  spin  with 
their  hands,  and  brought  that  which  they  had  spun,  the 
blue,  and  the  purple,  the    scarlet,  and  the  fine  linen. 

26  And  all  the  women   whose    heart  stirred  them    up    in 

27  wisdom  spun  the  goats'  hair.  And  the  rulers  brought 
the  ^  ony'x  stones,  and  the  stones  to  be  set,  for  the  ephod, 

28  and  for  the  breastplate ;  and  the  spice,  and  the  oil ;  for 
the  light,  and  for  the  anointing  oil,  and  for  the  sweet 

29  incense.  The  children  of  Israel  brought  a  freewill  offer- 
ing unto  the  Lord  ;  every  man  and  woman,  whose  heart 
made  them  willing  to  bring  for  all  the  work,  which  the 
Lord  had  commanded  to  be  made  by  the  hand  of 
Moses. 

*  Or,  nose-rings  ^  Or,  necklaces  «=  Or,  beryl 

22.  brooches.  The  word  usually  means  *  hook,'  some  kind  of 
ornament  is  intended. 

offered    an    offeringr,    lit.    •  v^raved    a    wave-offering';     cf. 
xxix.  24. 

24.  offer  an  offering'  of  silver  .  .  .  tlie  ZiOBD'S  offeringf,  lit. 
'  heave  a  heave-offering  of  silver.  .  .  Yahweh's  heave-offering'; 
ct".  xxix.  37. 


EXODUS  35.  30—36.  3.     S  265 

*  And  Moses  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  See,  the  30 
Lord  hath  called  by  name  Bezalel  the  son  of  Uri,  the 
son  of  Hur,   of  the  tribe  of  Judah ;   and  he  hath  filled  31 
him  with  the  spirit  of  God,  in  wisdom,  in  understanding, 
and  in  knowledge,  and  in  all  manner  of  workmanship ;  and  33 
to  devise  cunning  works,  to  work  in  gold,  and  in  silver, 
and  in  brass,  and  in  cutting  of  stones  for  setting,  and  in  33 
carving  of  wood,  to  work  in  all  manner  of  cunning  work- 
manship.    And  he  hath  put  in  his  heart  that  he  may  34 
teach,  both  he,  and  Oholiab,  the  son  of  Ahisamach,  of  the 
tribe  of  Dan.  Them  hath  he  filled  with  wisdom  of  heart,  to  35 
work  all  manner  of  workmanship,  of  the  ^  engraver,  and  of 
the  cunning  workman,  and  of  the  embroiderer,  in  blue,  and 
in  purple,  in  scarlet,  and  in  fine  linen,  and  of  the  weaver, 
even  of  them  that  do  any  workmanship,  and  of  those 
that  devise  cunning  works.     And  Bezalel  and  Oholiab  36 
shall    work,    and    every    wise   hearted    man,    in    whom 
the    Lord    hath    put    wisdom    and    understanding    to 
know  how  to  work  all  the  work  for  the  service  of  the 
sanctuary,  according   to  all  that  the  Lord  hath  com- 
manded. 

And  Moses  called  Bezalel  and  Oholiab,  and  every  wise  2 
hearted  man,  in  whose  heart  the  Lord  had  put  wisdom, 
even  every  one  whose  heart  stirred  him  up  to  come  unto 
the  work  to  do  it :  and  they  received  of  Moses  all  the  3 
offering,  which  the  children  of  Israel  had  brought  for  the 
*See  ch.  xxxi.  i-6.  *'Or,  craftsman 


XXXV.  30 — xxxvi.  7.     Bezalel  and  Oholiab. 

XXXV.  30 — xxxvi.  I  (corresponds  to  xxxi.  i-ii).  Moses  reports 
to  the  people  Yahweh's  in'=;truction  that  the  work  lor  the  Taber- 
nacle shall  be  done  by  skilled  workmen  under  the  direction  of 
Bezalel  and  Oholiab. 

2-4.  Moses  sets  them  to  work. 


266  EXODUS  36.  4-12.     S 

work  of  the  service  of  the  sanctuary,  to  make  it  withal. 
And  they  brought  yet  unto  him  freewill  offerings  every 

4  morning.  And  all  the  wise  men,  that  wrought  all  the 
work  of  the  sanctuary,  came  every  man  from  his  work 

5  which  they  wrought ;  and  they  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 
The  people  bring  much  more  than  enough  for  the  service 
of  the   work,    which  the  Lord   commanded  to  make. 

6  And  Moses  gave  commandment,  and  they  caused  it  to 
be  proclaimed  throughout  the  camp,  saying,  Let  neither 
man  nor  woman  make  any  more  work  for  the  offering 
of  the  sanctuary.     So  the  people  were  restrained  from 

7  bringing.  For  the  stuff  they  had  was  sufficient  for  all 
the  work  to  make  it,  and  too  much, 

8  a  And  every  wise  hearted  man  among  them  that  wrought 
the  work  made  the  tabernacle  with  ten  curtains ;  of  fine 
twined  linen,  and  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  with 
cherubim  the  work  of  the  cunning  workman  made  he 

9  them.  The  length  of  each  curtain  was  eight  and  twenty 
cubits,  and  the  breadth  of  each  curtain  four  cubits  :  all 

10  the  curtains  had  one  measure.  And  he  coupled  five 
curtains  one  to  another  :  and  the  other  five  curtains  he 

11  coupled  one  to  another.  And  he  made  loops  of  blue 
upon  the  edge  of  the  one  curtain  ^  from  the  selvedge  in 
the  coupling :  likewise  he  made  in  the  edge  of  the  cur- 

12  tain  that  was  outmost  in  the  second  c  coupling.     Fifty 

*See  ch.  xxvi.  1-14.  ''Or,  that  was  outmost  in  the  first  set 

«^  Or,  set 

5-7.  They  report  that  they  have  already  received  more  con- 
tributions than  are  needed,  and  the  people  are  told  that  they  arc 
to  bring  nothing  more. 

xxxvi.  8-19.     The  Making  of  the  Dwelling. 

Corresponds  to  xxvi.  i-ii,  14.  The  obscure  verses  xxvi.  12  I". 
are  ignored. 


EXODUS  36.  13-25.     S  267 

loops  made  he  in  the  one  curtain,  and  fifty  loops  made 

he  in  the  edge  of  the  curtain  that  was   in   the  second 

*  couphng :    the   loops   were   opposite   one    to   another. 

And   he   made   fifty   clasps   of  gold,    and  coupled  the  13 

curtains  one  to  another  with  the  clasps  :  so  the  tabernacle 

was  one.     And  he  made  curtains  of  goats'  hair  for  a  M 

tent  over  the  tabernacle  :  eleven  curtains  he  made  them. 

The  length  of  each  curtain  was  thirty  cubits,  and  four  15 

cubits  the  breadth  of  each  curtain :   the  eleven  curtains 

had   one   measure.     And  he   coupled  five  curtains  by  16 

themselves,    and  six  curtains  by  themselves.     And  he  17 

made  fifty  loops  on  the  edge  of  the  curtain  that  was 

outmost  in  the  ^  couphng,  and  fifty  loops  made  he  upon 

the  edge  of  the  curtain  which  was  outmost  in  the  second 

•"^coupling.     And  he  made  fifty  clasps  of  brass  to  couple  18 

the  tent  together,  that  it  might  be  one.     And  he  made  '9 

a  covering  for  the  tent  of  rams'  skins  dyed  red,  and  a 

covering  of  ^  sealskins  above. 

^  xA.nd  he  made  the  boards  for  the  tabernacle  of  acacia  20 

wood,   standing  up.     Ten   cubits  was  the   length  of  a  21 

board,  and  a  cubit  and  a  half  the  breadth  of  each  board. 

Each  board  had  two  tenons,  « joined  one  to  another:  22 

thus  did  he  make  for  all  the  boards  of  the  tabernacle. 

And  he  made  the  boards   for  the  tabernacle ;   twenty  23 

boards  for  the  south  side  southward :  and  he  made  forty  24 

sockets  of  silver  under  the  twenty  boards;  two  sockets 

under  one  board  for  its  two  tenons,  and  two  sockets 

under  another  board  for  its  two  tenons.     And  for  the  25 

second  side  of  the   tabernacle,   on   the  north  side,  he 

*Or,  set  ^  Or,  first  set  *=  Or,  porpoise- skins 

^  See  ch.  xxvi.  15-29.  "  Or,  morticed 

xxxvi.  20-34.     T"^  Making  of  the  Wooden  Framework, 
Corresponds  to  xxvi.  15-29. 


268  EXODUS  3G.  26-38.     S 

26  made  twenty  boards,  and  their  forty  sockets  of  silver ; 
two  sockets  under  one  board,  and  two  sockets  under 

27  another  board.    And  for  the  hinder  part  of  the  tabernacle 

28  westward  he  made  six  boards.  And  two  boards  made 
he  for  the  corners  of  the  tabernacle  in  the  hinder  part. 

J 9  And  they  were  double  beneath,  and  in  like  manner  they 
were  entire  unto  the  top  thereof  unto  "■  one  ring :   thus 

30  he  did  to  both  of  them  in  the  two  corners.  And  there 
were  eight  boards,  and  their  sockets  of  silver,  sixteen 

31  sockets ;  under  every  board  two  sockets.  And  he  made 
bars  of  acacia  wood ;  five  for  the  boards  of  the  one  side  of 

32  the  tabernacle,  and  five  bars  for  the  boards  of  the  other 
side  of  the  tabernacle,  and  five  bars  for  the  boards  of  the 

33  tabernacle  for  the  hinder  part  westward.  And  he  made 
the  middle  bar  to  pass  through  in  the  midst  of  the  boards 

34  from  the  one  end  to  the  other.  And  he  overlaid  the 
boards  with  gold,  and  made  their  rings  of  gold  for  places 
for  the  bars,  and  overlaid  the  bars  with  gold. 

35  ^And  he  made  the  veil  of  blue,  and  purple,  and 
scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen  :  with  cherubim  the  work  of 

36  the  cunning  workman  made  he  it.  And  he  made  thereunto 
four  pillars  of  acacia,  and  overlaid  them  with  gold  :  their 
hooks  were  of  gold  ;  and  he  cast  for  them  four  sockets  of 

37  silver.  And  he  made  a  screen  for  the  door  of  the  Tent, 
of  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen, 

38  the  work  of  the  embroiderer ;  and  the  five  pillars  of  it 
with  their  hooks  :  and  he  overlaid  their  chapiters  and  their 
fillets  with  gold  :  and  their  five  sockets  were  of  brass. 

'^  Or,  the  first  *'See  ch.  xxvi.  31-37. 


xxxvi.  35-38.     The  Veil  and  the  Screen. 

Corresponds  to  xxvi.  31  f.,  36  f.  In  verse  38,  however,  only  the 
chapiters  and  fillets  are  overlaid  with  gold  ;  in  xxvi.  37  the 
whole  pillars. 


EXODUS  37.  I-I3.     S  269 

"  And    Bezalel   made    the    ark  of  acacia  wood  :    two  37 
cubits  and  a  half  was  the  length  of  it,  and  a  cubit  and 
a  half  the  breadth  of  it,  and  a  cubit  and  a  half  the  height 
of  it :    and   he  overlaid  it  with  pure  gold  within   and  2 
without,  and  made  a  ^  crown  of  gold  to  it  round  about. 
And  he  cast  for  it  four  rings  of  gold,  in  the  four  feet  3 
thereof ;  even  two  rings  on  the  one  ^  side  of  it,  and  two 
rings  on  the  other  ^  side  of  it.     And  he  made  staves  of  4 
acacia  wood,  and  overlaid  them  with  gold.     And  he  put  5 
the  staves  into  the  rings  on  the  sides  of  the  ark,  to  bear 
the  ark.     And  he  made  a  ^  mercy-seat  of  pure  gold  :  two  6 
cubits  and  a  half  was  the  length  thereof,  and  a  cubit  and 
a  half  the  breadth  thereof.     And  he  made  two  cherubim  7 
of  gold  ;    of  e  beaten  work  made  he  them,  at  the  two 
ends  of  the  mercy-seat  ;  one  cherub  at  the  one  end,  and  8 
one  cherub  at  the  other  end  :    of  one  piece  with  the 
mercy-seat    made   he    the   cherubim   at   the    two   ends 
thereof.     And  the  cherubim  spread  out  their  wings  on  9 
high,  covering  the  mercy-seat  with  their  wings,  with  their 
faces  one  to  another ;   toward  the  mercy-seat  were  the 
faces  of  the  cherubim. 

^And  he  made  the  table  of  acacia  wood:  two  cubits  'o 

was  the  length  thereof,  and  a  cubit  the  breadth  thereof, 

and  a  cubit  and  a  half  the  height  thereof :  and  he  over-  1 1 

laid  it  with  pure  gold,  and  made  thereto  a  crown  of  gold 

round  about.     And  he  made  unto  it  a  border  of  an  12 

handbreadth  round  about,  and  made  a  golden  crown  to 

•  See  ch.  xxv.  TO-20.        ^  Or,  rim     Or,  monlding         ^  Heb.  rib. 
''Or,  coveiing         ^  Or,  lurned         ^  See  ch.  xxv,  23-29. 

xxxvii.  1-9,     The  Ark. 
Corresponds  to  xxv.  10-15.  18-20. 

xxxvii.  10-16.     The  Table  for  the  Shewbread. 
Corresponds  to  xxv.  23-29. 


270  EXODUS  37.  13-24.     S 

13  the  border  thereof  round  about.  And  he  cast  for  it  four 
rings  of  gold,  and  put  the  rings  in  the  four  corners  that 

1 4  were  on  the  four  feet  thereof.  Close  by  the  border  were 
the  rings,  the  places  for  the  staves  to  bear  the  table. 

i£  And  he  made  the  staves  of  acacia  wood,  and  overlaid 

1 6  them  with  gold,  to  bear  the  table.  And  he  made  the 
vessels  which  were  upon  the  table,  the  dishes  thereof, 
and  the  spoons  thereof,  and  the  bowls  thereof,  and  the 
flagons  thereof,  to  pour  out  withal,  of  pure  gold. 

17  ^  And  he  made  the  candlestick  of  pure  gold  :  of  beaten 
work  made  he  the  candlestick,  even  its  base,  and  its 
shaft ;  its  cups,  its  knops,  and  its  flowers,  were  of  one  piece 

18  with  it :  and  there  were  six  branches  going  out  of  the  sides 
thereof ;  three  branches  of  the  candlestick  out  of  the  one 
side  thereof,  and  three  branches  of  the  candlestick  out 

19  of  the  other  side  thereof :  three  cups  made  like  almond- 
blossoms  in  one  branch,  a  knop  and  a  flower ;  and  three 
cups  made  like  almond-blossoms  in  the  other  branch,  a 
knop  and  a  flower :  so  for  the  six  branches  going  out  of 

20  the  candlestick.  And  in  the  candlestick  were  four  cups 
made  like  almond-blossoms,  the  knops  thereof,  and  the 

21  flowers  thereof:  and  a  knop  under  two  branches  of  one 
piece  with  it,  and  a  knop  under  two  branches  of  one  piece 
with  it,  and  a  knop  under  two  branches  of  one  piece  with 

22  it,  for  the  six  branches  going  out  of  it.  Their  knops  and 
their  branches  were  of  one  piece  with  it :  the  whole  of  it 

23  was  one  beaten  work  of  pure  gold.  And  he  made  the 
lamps  thereof,  seven,   and  the   tongs  thereof,   and  the 

24  snuffdishes  thereof,  of  pure  gold.  Of  a  talent  of  pure 
gold  made  he  it,  and  all  the  vessels  thereof. 

*See  ch.  xxv.  31-39. 

xxxvii.  17-24.     The  Lampstand. 
Corresponds  to  xxv.  31-39. 


EXODUS  37.  25—38.  4.     S  271 

"■And  he  made  the  altar  of  incense  of  acacia  wood  :  25 
a  cubit  was  the  length  thereof,  and  a  cubit  the  breadth 
thereof,    foursquare ;    and    two   cubits   was    the    height 
thereof;  the  horns  thereof  were  of  one  piece  with   it. 
And  he  overlaid  it  with  pure  gold,  the  top  thereof,  and  26 
the  sides  thereof  round  about,  and  the  horns  of  it :  and 
he  made  unto  it  a  crown  of  gold  round  about.     And  he  27 
made  for  it  two  golden  rings  under  the  crown  thereof, 
upon  the  two  ribs  thereof,  upon  the  two  sides  of  it,  for 
places  for  staves  to  bear  it  withal.     And  he  made  the  28 
staves  of  acacia  wood,  and  overlaid  them   with   gold. 
^  And  he  made  the  holy  anointing  oil,  and  the  pure  29 
incense  of  sweet  spices,  after  the  art  of  the  perfumer. 

c  And  he  made  the  altar  of  burnt  offering  of  acacia  38 
wood  :  five  cubits  was  the  length  thereof,  and  five  cubits 
the  breadth  thereof,  foursquare;    and  three  cubits  the 
height  thereof     And  he  made  the  horns  thereof  upon  2 
the  four  corners  of  it ;    the  horns  thereof  were  of  one 
piece  with  it :    and  he  overlaid  it  with  brass.     And  he  3 
made  all  the  vessels  of  the  altar,  the  pots,  and  the  shovels, 
and  the  basons,  the  fleshhooks,  and  the  firepans :  all  the 
vessels  thereof  made  he  of  brass.     And  he  made  for  the  4 
altar  a  grating  of  network  of  brass,  under  the  ledge  round 

"^See  ch.  xxx.  1-5.  *>See  ch.  xxx.  23,  24,  34,  35. 

*'See  ch.  xxvii.  1-8. 

XXXV.  25-28.     The  Altar  of  Incense. 
Corresponds  to  xxx.  1-5. 

xxxvii.  29.     The  Anointing  Oil  and  the  Incense. 

This  brief  statement  corresponds  to  the  recipes  given  in  xxx. 
22-25,  34,  35. 

xxxviii.  1-7.     The  Altar  of  Burnt-offering. 
Corresponds  to  xxvii.  1-8. 


272  EXODUS  38.  5-ir.     S 

5  it  beneath,  reaching  halfway  up.  And  he  cast  four  rings 
for  the  four  ends  of  the  grating  of  brass,  to  be  places  for 

6  the  staves.     And  he  made  the  staves  of  acacia  wood,  and 

7  overlaid  them  with  brass.  And  he  put  the  staves  into 
the  rings  on  the  sides  of  the  altar,  to  bear  it  withal ;  he 
made  it  hollow  with  planks. 

^  ^  And  he  made  the  laver  of  brass,  and  the  base  thereof 
of  brass,  of  the  mirrors  of  ^the  c  serving  women  which 
served  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting. 

9  ^  And  he  made  the  court  :  for  the  south  side  southward 
the  hangings  of  the  court  were  of  fine  twined  linen,  an 

10  hundred   cubits :   their   pillars   were   twenty,    and   their 
sockets  twenty,  of  brass ;   the  hooks  of  the  pillars  and 

11  their  fillets  were  of  silver.     And  for  the  north  side  an 

hundred  cubits,  their  pillars  twenty,  and  their  sockets 

*See  ch.  xxx.  18. 

^'  Or,  the  women  which  assembled  to  im'nisfer 
'^  See  Num.  iv.  23,  viii.  24 ;  i  Sam.  ii.  22. 
^  See  ch.  xxvii.  9-19. 

xxxviii.  8.     The  Brazen  Laver. 

Corresponds  to  xxx.  17  f.,  where,  however,  there  is  nothing  about 
the  '  sen'ing  women  '  or  their  •  mirrors.' 

8.  mirrors.  Mirrors  of  bronze  and  other  metals  are  often 
found  amongst  the  remains  of  ancient  Egypt,  Assyria,  &c. 

servingf  women  which  served.  Such  a  class  is  only 
mentioned  elsewhere  in  i  Sam.  ii.  22.  The  author  of  this  late 
Section  has  forgotten  to  explain  how  such  a  class  could  have  been 
formed  before  the  Tabernacle  existed.  Ibn  Ezra  explains  that 
they  were  women  who  gave  up  their  mirrors  for  this  purpose  be- 
cause they  had  devoted  themselves  to  a  'religious'  life  and  had  no 
further  use  for  mirrors  ;  then,  after  the  Tabernacle  was  set  up,  they 
spent  their  time  at  its  door  in  devotion — an  explanation  more 
edifj'ing  than  probable. 

xxxviii.  9-20.     The  Court. 

Corresponds  to  xxvii.  Q-19.  There  are  slight  changes  in  the 
wording  and  in  the  order  of  the  sentences.  The  overlaying  of 
the  chapiters  with  silver  in  verse  19  is  not  in  the  instructions. 


EXODUS  38.  13-21.     S  273 

twenty,  of  brass  ;  the  hooks  of  the  pillars  and  their  fillets 
of  silver.     And  for  the  west  side  were  hangings  of  fifty  12 
cubits,  their  pillars  ten,  and  their  sockets  ten ;  the  hooks 
of  the  pillars  and  their  fillets  of  silver.     And  for  the  east  ^3 
side  eastward  fifty  cubits.     The  hangings  for  the  one  14 
side  of  the  gate  were  fifteen  cubits ;    their  pillars  three, 
and  their  sockets  three;   and  so  for  the  other  side:  on  15 
this  hand  and  that  hand  by  the  gate  of  the  court  were 
hangings  of  fifteen  cubits  ;  their  pillars  three,  and  their 
sockets  three.    All  the  hangings  of  the  court  round  about  16 
were   of  fine  twined   linen.     And  the   sockets  for   the  17 
pillars  were  of  brass ;  the  hooks  of  the  pillars  and  their 
fillets  of  silver ;  and  the  overlaying  of  their  chapiters  of 
silver ;  and  all  the  pillars  of  the  court  were  filleted  with 
silver.     And  the  screen  for  the  gate  of  the  court  was  the  18 
work  of  the  embroiderer,  of  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet, 
and  fine  twined  linen  :  and  twenty  cubits  was  the  length, 
and  the  height  in  the  breadth  was  five  cubits,  answerable 
to  the  hangings  of  the  court.     And  their  pillars  were  19 
four,   and  their  sockets  four,   of  brass  ;   their  hooks  of 
silver,  and  the  overlaying  of  their  chapiters  and  their 
fillets  of  silver.     And  all  the  pins  of  the  tabernacle,  and  20 
of  the  court  round  about,  were  of  brass. 

This  is  the  sum  of  the  things  for  the  tabernacle,  even  21 


18.  the  height  in  the  breadth.  This  admirably  reproduces 
the  obscurity  of  the  original  ;  which  may  possibly  mean  that  the 
height  corresponded  to  the  breadth  ;  cf.  xxvii.  9  f. 

xxxviii.  21-31.  Summary  of  the  Work  done  and  the  Materials 
USED  IN  Constructing  the  Tabernacle. 

21-33.  Introduction. 

24.  The  gold  used  amounted  to  29  talents,  730  shekels. 

25.  The  silver  to  100  talents,  177  shekels. 

26.  At  the  rate  of  half  a  shekel  a  head  for  the  603.550  adult 
Israelites. 


274  EXODUS  38.    22-25.     S 

the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony,  as  they  were  counted, 
according  to  the  commandment  of  Moses,  for  the  service 
of  the  Levites,  by  the  hand  of  Ithamar,  the  son  of  Aaron 
3  2  the  priest.  And  Bezalel  the  son  of  Uri,  the  son  of  Hur, 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  made  all  that  the  Lord  commanded 

23  Moses.  And  with  him  was  Oholiab,  the  son  of  Ahisamach, 
of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  ^  an  engraver,  and  a  cunning  workman, 
and  an  embroiderer  in  blue,  and  in  purple,  and  in  scarlet, 
and  fine  linen. 

24  All  the  gold  that  was  used  for  the  work  in  all  the  work 
of  the  sanctuary,  even  the  gold  of  the  offering,  was  twenty 
and  nine  talents,  and  seven  hundred  and  thirty  shekels, 

25  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary.  And  the  silver  of  them 
that  were  numbered  of  the  congregation  was  an  hundred 
talents,  and  a  thousand  seven  hundred  and  threescore 
and  fifteen  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary : 

"  Or,  a  cra/isman 


27.  The  100  talents  of  silver  were  used  for  the  sockets,  a  talent 
for  each  one. 

28.  The  rest  of  the  silver  was  used  for  the  hooks,  chapiters,  and 
fillets. 

29-31.  Of  brass,  70  talents,  2,400  shekels,  were  used  for  the 
sockets  of  the  door  and  the  court,  the  brazen  altar  and  its  vessels, 
and  the  tent-pins. 

21.  testimony.     Cf.  xxv.  16. 

Ithamar.     Cf.  vi.  23.     In  Num.  iv.  28,  33,  vii.  8  the  Dwelling 
is  the  special  charge  of  Ithamar. 

22,  23.     Cf  xxxi.  i-ii. 

24,  29.  offering",  wave-offering;  so  in  xxxv.  22. 
24.  talents.    Cf.   xxv.  39.      There  were  3.000  shekels  to  the 
talent. 

29  ta.lents,  730  shekels.    There  is  nothing  to  show  how  the 
figures  were  arrived  at.     It  has  been  calculated  that  the  weight 
of  gold  was  about  equivalent  to  that  in  ;^2oo.ooo  (cf.  Baentsch), 
but  the  purchasing  power  would  he  much  greater. 
shekel  of  the  sanctuary.     Cf.  xxx.  13. 


EXODUS  38.  26—39.  2.     S  27s 

a  beka  a  head,  that  is,  half  a  shekel,  after  the  shekel  of  a6 
the  sanctuary,  for  every  one  that  passed  over  to  them 
that  were  numbered,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward, 
for  six  hundred  thousand  and  three  thousand  and  five 
hundred  and  fifty  men.     And  the  hundred  talents  of  27 
silver  were  for  casting  the  sockets  of  the  sanctuary,  and 
the   sockets   of  the  veil ;   an   hundred   sockets   for   the 
hundred   talents,    a   talent   for   a   socket.     And  of  the  28 
thousand  seven  hundred  seventy  and  five  shekels  he  made 
hooks  for  the  pillars,  and  overlaid  their  chapiters,  and 
made  fillets  for  them.     And  the  brass  of  the  offering  was  -9 
seventy  talents,   and  two   thousand  and  four   hundred 
shekels.     And  therewith  he  made  the  sockets  to  the  door  5° 
of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  the  brasen  altar,  and  the 
brasen  grating  for  it,  and  all  the  vessels  of  the  altar,  and  31 
the  sockets  of  the  court  round  about,  and  the  sockets  of 
the  gate  of  the  court,  and  all  the  pins  of  the  tabernacle, 
and  all  the  pins  of  the  court  round  about. 

And  of  the  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  they  made  39 
finely  wrought  garments,  for  ministering  in  the  holy  place, 
and  made  the  holy  garments  for  Aaron  ;  as  the  Lord 
commanded  Moses. 

^  And  he  made  the  ephod  of  gold,  blue,  and  purple,  3 

*See  ch.  xxviii.  6-12. 


26.  Cf.  XXX.  13.  This  verse  presupposes  the  census,  which 
was  not  taken  till  afterwards,  Num.  i.  46. 

27.  Cf.  xxvi.  19  (40  sockets),  21  (40  sockets;,  25  (i6  sockets;, 
32  (4  sockets).  The  sockets  for  the  pillars  of  the  screen,  xxvi.  37, 
and  for  the  pillars  of  the  court,  xxvii.  10-18,  were  of  brass. 

xxxix.  1-26.     The  Ephod,  Breastplate,  and  Robe. 

1.  Cf.  xxviii.  2-4,  xxxi.  10. 

3-7.  Corresponds  to  xxviii.  6-12  a. 

3.   Not  in  the  instructions. 

6.  Cf.  xxviii.  9,  II  f.  There  is  nothing  corresponding  to  xxviii.  10. 

8-21.   Corresponds  to  xxviii.  15-28. 

T   2 


376  EXODUS  39.  3-15.     S 

3  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen.  And  they  did  beat 
the  gold  into  thin  plates,  and  cut  it  into  wires,  to  work  it 
in  the  blue,  and  in  the  purple,  and  in  the  scarlet,  and  in 

4  the  fine  linen,  the  work  of  the  cunning  workman.  They 
made  shoulderpieces  for  it,  joined  together :  at  the  two 

5  ends  was  it  joined  together.  And  the  cunningly  woven 
band,  that  was  upon  it,  to  gird  it  on  withal,  was  of  the 
same  piece  and  hke  the  work  thereof;  of  gold,  of  blue, 
and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen;  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 

6  And  they  wrought  the  onyx  stones,  inclosed  in  ouches 
of  gold,  graven  with  the  engravings  of  a  signet,  according 

7  to  the  names  of  the  children  of  Israel.  And  he  put  them 
on  the  shoulderpieces  of  the  ephod,  to  be  stones  of 
memorial  for  the  children  of  Israel ;  as  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses. 

8  a  ^nd  he  made  the  breastplate,  the  work  of  the  cunning 
workman,  like  the  work  of  the  ephod ;  of  gold,  of  blue, 

9  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen.  It  was 
foursquare ;  they  made  the  breastplate  double  :  a  span 
was  the  length  thereof,  and  a  span  the  breadth  thereof, 

10  being  double.  And  they  set  in  it  four  rows  of  stones  : 
a  row  of  sardius,  topaz,  and  carbuncle  was  the  first  row. 

11  And  the  second   row,  an   emerald,  a  sapphire,   and  a 

12  diamond.     And  the  third  row,  a  jacinth,  an  agate,  and 

13  an  amethyst.  And  the  fourth  row,  a  beryl,  an  onyx,  and 
a  jasper :  they  were  inclosed  in  ouches  of  gold  in  their 

14  settings.  And  the  stones  were  according  to  the  names 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  twelve,  according  to  their  names ; 
like  the  engravings  of  a  signet,  every  one  according  to  his 

15  name,  for  the  twelve  tribes.     And  they  made  upon  the 

*  See  ch,  xxviii.  15-28. 


EXODUS  39.  16-35.     S  277 

breastplate  chains  like  cords,  of  wreathen  work  of  pure 
gold.     And  they  made  two  ouches  of  gold,  and  two  gold  r6 
rings;   and  put  the  two  rings  on  the  two  ends  of  the 
breastplate.     And  they  put  the  two  wreathen  chains  of  1 7 
gold  on  the  two  rings  at  the  ends  of  the  breastplate. 
And  the  other  two  ends  of  the  two  wreathen  chains  they  18 
put  on  the  two  ouches,  and  put  them  on  the  shoulder- 
pieces  of  the  ephod,  in  the  forepart  thereof.     And  they  19 
made  two  rings  of  gold,  and  put  them  upon  the  two  ends 
of  the  breastplate,  upon  the  edge  thereof,   which  was 
toward  the  side  of  the  ephod  inward.     And  they  made  20 
two  rings  of  gold,  and  put  them  on  the  two  shoulderpieces 
of  the  ephod  underneath,  in  the  forepart  thereof,  close 
by  the  coupling  thereof,  above  the  cunningly  woven  band 
of  the  ephod.     And  they  did  bind  the  breastplate  by  21 
the  rings  thereof  unto  the  rings  of  the  ephod  with  a  lace 
of  blue,  that  it  might  be  upon  the  cunningly  woven  band 
of  the  ephod,  and  that  the  breastplate  might  not  be 
loosed  from  the  ephod ;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

^And  he  made  the  robe  of  the  ephod  of  woven  work,  22 
all  of  blue ;  and  the  hole  of  the  robe  in  the  midst  thereof,  23 
as  the  hole  of  a  coat  of  mail,  with  a  binding  round  about 
the  hole  of  it,  that  it  should  not  be  rent.  And  they  24 
made  upon  the  skirts  of  the  robe  pomegranates  of  blue, 
and  purple,  and  scarlet,  a7id  twined  Une7i.  And  they  25 
made  bells  of  pure  gold,  and  put  the  bells  between  the 

'^See  ch.  xxviii.  31-34. 


16.  two  ouches.     Cf.  xxviii.  13. 

22-26.     Corresponds  to  xxviii.  31-34. 

24.  and  twined  Jineyi.  Not  in  the  instructions  :  we  may  read 
the  words  which  R.  V.  supplies  in  italics,  or  more  probably  omit 
'  twined.'  Some  scribe  got  so  used  to  writing  *  blue  and  purple 
and  scarlet  and  fine  twined  linen  '  that  he  went  on  from  'scarlet* 
to  '  twined  '  without  thinking  what  he  was  doing. 


278  EXODUS  39.  26-32.     S 

pomegranates  upon  the  skirts  of  the  robe  round  about, 

26  between  the  pomegranates ;  a  bell  and  a  pomegranate,  a 

bell  and  a  pomegranate,  upon  the  skirts  of  the  robe  round 

about,  to  minister  in ;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

37      ^  And  they  made  the  coats  of  fine  linen  of  woven  work 

28  for  Aaron,  and  for  his  sons,  and  the  '*  mitre  of  fine  linen, 

and  the  goodly  headtires  of  fine  linen,  and  the  linen 

39  breeches  of  fine  twined   linen,  and  the  girdle   of  fine 

twined  linen,  and  blue,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  the  work 

of  the  embroiderer ;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

30  c  And  they  made  the  plate  of  the  holy  crown  of  pure 
gold,  and  wrote  upon  it  a  writing,  like  the  engravings  of 

31  a  signet,  holy  to  the  lord.  And  they  tied  unto  it  a 
lace  of  blue,  to  fasten  it  upon  the  ^'  mitre  above ;  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 

2^  Thus  was  finished  all  the  work  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  tent  of  meeting :  and  the  children  of  Israel  did 
according  to  all  that  the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  so 
did  they. 

*  See  ch.  xxviii.  39,  40,  42.  ^  Or,  turban 

"See  ch.  xxviii.  36,  37. 


xxxix.  27-31.    The  Tunics  and  Headgear. 
27-29.  Corresponds,  with  variations  of  wording,  to  xxviii.  39  f., 
42 ;  of.  xxviii.  4. 

30  f.     Corresponds  to  xxviii.  36  f. 
holy  crown.     Not  in  the  instructions. 

xxxix.  32-43.     Concluding  Summary. 

An  expansion  of  xxxi.  6-11. 

32-42.  When  the  work  was  finished,  everything  was  brought 
to  Moses.     The  various  items  are  enumerated. 

43.  He  ascertained  that  the  Divine  instructions  had  been 
.accurately  carried  out,  and  blessed  the  workers. 

The  place  where  each  item  is  dealt  with  will  be  found  in  the 
Subject  Index. 


EXODUS  39.  33—40.  3.     S  279 

And   they   brought  the   tabernacle   unto   Moses,  the  33 
Tent,  and  all  its  furniture,  its  clasps,  its  boards,  its  bars, 
and  its    pillars,   and   its  sockets ;    and   the   covering  of  34 
rams'  skins  dyed  red,  and  the  covering  of  '^  sealskins,  and 
the  veil  of  the  screen ;  the  ark  of  the  testimony,  and  the  35 
staves  thereof,  and  the  mercy-seat ;    the  table,  all  the  36 
vessels  thereof,  and  the  shevvbread  ;  the  pure  candlestick,  37 
the  lamps  thereof,  even  the  lamps  to  be  set  in  order,  and 
all  the  vessels  thereof,  and  the  oil  for  the  light ;  and  the  38 
golden  altar,  and  the  anointing  oil,  and  the  sweet  incense, 
and  the  screen  for  the  door  of  the  Tent ;    the  brasen  39 
altar,    and  its  grating   of  brass,    its  staves,   and   all   its 
vessels,  the  laver  and  its  base ;  the  hangings  of  the  court,  40 
its  pillars,  and  its  sockets,  and  the  screen  for  the  gate  of 
the  courts  the  cords  thereof,  and  the  pins  thereof,  and  all 
the  instruments  of  the  service  of  the  tabernacle,  for  the 
tent    of    meeting;    the    finely    wrought    garments    for  4^ 
ministering  in  the  holy  place,  and  the  holy  garments  for 
Aaron  the  priest,  and  the  garments  of  his  sons,  to  minister 
in  the  priest's  office.     According  to  all  that  the  Lord  42 
commanded  Moses,  so  the  children  of  Israel  did  all  the 
work.     And  Moses  saw  all  the  work,  and,  behold,  they  43 
had  done  it ;  as  the  Lord  had  commanded,  even  so  had 
they  done  it :  and  Moses  blessed  them. 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  On  the  first  40 
day  of  the  first  month  shalt  thou  rear  up  the  tabernacle 
of  the  tent  of  meeting.     And  thou  shalt  put  therein  the  3 

*  Or,  porpoise-skins 


xl.  1-14.     Instructions  for  the  Erection  of  the  Tabernacle, 

AND     FOR     THE    CONSECRATION     OF     THE    TaBERNACLE,     OF    ITS 

Belongings,  and  of  Aaron  and  his  Sons. 
For  the  various  items  see  Subject  Index  as  above, 
1.  first  month.     Cf.  xii.  2,  xiii.  4. 


28o  EXODUS  40.  4-15.     S 

ark  of  the  testimony,  and  thou  shalt  screen  the  ark  with 

4  the  veil.  And  thou  shalt  bring  in  the  table,  and  set  in 
order  the  things  that  are  upon  it ;    and  thou  shalt  bring 

5  in  the  candlestick,  and  ■'  light  the  lamps  thereof.  And 
thou  shalt  set  the  golden  altar  for  incense  before  the  ark 
of  the  testimony,  and  put  the  screen  of  the  door  to  the 

6  tabernacle.  And  thou  shalt  set  the  altar  of  burnt  offering 
before  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  tent  of  meeting. 

7  And  thou  shalt  set  the  laver  between  the  tent  of  meeting 

8  and  the  altar,  and  shalt  put  water  therein.  And  thou 
shalt  set  up  the  court  round  about,  and  hang  up  the 

9  screen  of  the  gate  of  the  court.  And  thou  shalt  take  the 
anointing  oil,  and  anoint  the  tabernacle,  and  all  that  is 
therein,  and  shalt  hallow  it,  and  all  the  furniture  thereof : 

10  and  it  shall  be  holy.  And  thou  shalt  anoint  the  altar  of 
burnt  offering,  and  all  its  vessels,  and  sanctify  the  altar : 

11  and  the  altar  shall  be  most  holy.     And  thou  shalt  anoint 
I  a  the  laver  and  its  base,  and  sanctify  it.     And  thou  shalt 

bring  Aaron  and  his  sons  unto  the  door  of  the  tent  of 

13  meeting,  and  shalt  wash  them  with  water.  And  thou 
shalt  put  upon  Aaron  the  holy  garments ;  and  thou  shalt 
anoint  him,  and  sanctify  him,  that  he  may  minister  unto 

14  me  in  the  priest's  office.     And  thou  shalt  bring  his  sons, 

15  and  put  coats  upon  them :  and  thou  shalt  anoint  them, 
as  thou  didst  anoint  their  father,  that  they  may  minister 
unto  me  in  the  priest's  office  :    and  their  anointing  shall 

*  Or,  set  up 

4.  set  in  order  the  thing's  that  are  upon  It.  A  single  word 
in  the  Hebrew.  Cf.  xxv.  29 f.  'The  things'  are  the  shewbread, 
spoons,  dishes,  &c. 

7.     Cf,  XXX.  18. 

9-15.  Repeats  with  slight  variations  xxx.  26-30.  Cf.  xxviii.  41, 
Lev.  viii, 

14  f.  In  ch.  xxx  the  sons  arc  coupled  with  Aaron ;  here  a  separate 
paragraph  is  devoted  to  them. 


EXODUS  40.  16-36.     S  281 

be  to  them  for  an  everlasting  priesthood  throughout  their 
generations.     Thus  did  Moses  :  according  to  all  that  the  16 
Lord  commanded  him,  so  did  he. 

And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  first  month  in  the  second  17 
year,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  that  the  tabernacle 
was  reared  up.     And  Moses  reared  up  the  tabernacle,  18 
and  laid  its  sockets,  and  set  up  the  boards  thereof,  and 
put  in  the  bars  thereof,  and  reared  up  its  pillars.    And  he  19 
spread  the  tent  over  the  tabernacle,  and  put  the  covering 
of  the  tent  above  upon  it ;   as  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses.     And  he  took  and  put  the  testimony  into  the  20 
ark,  and  set  the  staves  on  the  ark,  and  put  the  mercy- 
seat  above  upon  the  ark:    and  he  brought  the  ark  into  21 
the  tabernacle,  and  set  up  the  veil  of  the  screen,  and 
screened  the  ark  of  the  testimony ;    as  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses.    And  he  put  the  table  in  the  tent  of  meet-  22 
ing,  upon  the  side  of  the  tabernacle  northward,  without  the 
veil.     And  he  set  the  bread  in  order  upon  it  before  the  23 
Lord  ;   as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses.     And  he  put  24 
the  candlestick  in  the  tent  of  meeting,  over  against  the 
table,  on  the  side  of  the  tabernacle  southward.     And  he  25 
«•  lighted   the   lamps   before  the   Lord  ;    as   the   Lord 
commanded  Moses.     And  he  put  the  golden  altar  in  the  26 

"^  Or,  set  up 

15.  an  everlasting'  priesthood.     Ci.  xxix.  9  ;   Num.  xxv.  13. 
xl.  17-38.     The  Erection  of  the  Tabernacle. 

For  the  various  items  see  Subject  Index,  as  above. 

16-33.     Moses  carries  out  the  instructions  given  in  verses  1-13. 

34  f.  The  Glory  of  Yahweh  fills  the  Tabernacle,  so  that  Moses 
cannot  enter. 

36  ff.  When  Israel  encamped  anywhere  the  Pillar  of  Fire  and 
Cloud  descended  upon  the  Tabernacle,  and  Israel  remained  at  that 
place  till  the  Pillar  was  taken  up  ;  then  they  broke  up  their  camp 
and  marched  on. 

17.  the  second  year,  after  leaving  Egypt. 


282  EXODUS  40.  27-38.     S 

27  tent  of  meeting  before  the  veil :  and  he  burnt  thereon 
incense   of   sweet   spices ;     as    the    Lord   commanded 

28  Moses.     And   he   put  the   screen   of  the  door  to  the 

29  tabernacle.  And  he  set  the  altar  of  burnt  offering  at  the 
door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and 
offered  upon  it  the  burnt  offering  and  the  meal  offering ; 

30  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses.  And  he  set  the  laver 
between  the  tent  of  meeting  and  the  altar,  and  put  water 

31  therein,  to  wash  withal.  ^And  Moses  and  Aaron  and 
his   sons  washed   their  hands   and   their  feet   thereat ; 

32  when  they  went  into  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  when  they 
came  near  unto  the  altar,  they  washed :    as  the  Lord 

33  commanded  Moses.  And  he  reared  up  the  court  round 
about  the  tabernacle  and  the  altar,  and  set  up  the  screen 
of  the  gate  of  the  court.     So  Moses  finished  the  work. 

34  Then  the  cloud  covered  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  the 

35  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  tabernacle.  And  Moses  was 
not  able  to  enter  into  the  tent  of  meeting,  because  the 
cloud  abode  thereon,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled 

36  the  tabernacle.  And  when  the  cloud  was  taken  up  from 
over  the  tabernacle,  the  children  of  Israel  went  onward, 

37  throughout  all  their  journeys  :  but  if  the  cloud  were  not 
taken  up,  then  they  journeyed  not  till  the  day  that  it  was 

38  taken  up.     For  the  cloud  of  the  Lord  was  upon  the 

tabernacle  by  day,  and  there  was  fire  therein  by  night,  in 

the   sight   of  all   the   house   of   Israel,    throughout   all 

their  journeys. 

'^  See  ch.  xxx.  19,  20. 

27.  he  burnt  thereon  incense  .  .  .  29.  .  .  .  and  offered  upon 
it  the  burnt-offeringf,  &c.  As  Aaron  and  his  sons  are  not  yet 
consecrated  Moses  acts  as  priest. 

34.  the  glory  of  the  IiOBD.     Cf.  xxix.  43. 

The  consecration  of  Aaron  and  his  sons  and  the  Tabernacle,  in 
accordance  with  verses  pff.,  is  narrated  in  Lev.  viii. 


283 


APPENDIX   I 

THE    ORIGIN    OF   THE    PASSOVER 

It  has  been  pointed  out  in  the  notes '  that  the  Passover,  Pesah, 
was  originally  distinct  from  the  Feast  of  Unleavened  Bread, 
Macfoth.  The  antiquit}'  of  the  Passover  is  generally  accepted  by 
scholars,  and  it  is  believed  to  have  been  derived  from  the  nomad 
period  of  the  History  of  Israel,  Indeed  it  is  sometimes  thought  to 
be  older  than  Moses,  and  to  be  one  of  the  features  of  ancient 
Semitic  religion,  which  were  retained  by  the  worshippers  of 
Yahweh,  and  were  finally  adopted  by  Revealed  Religion. 

The  late  Prof.  W.  Robertson  Smith  wrote  - : — 

'Among  the  annual  piacula  of  the  more  advanced  Semites 
which,  though  they  are  not  mystical  sacrifices  of  an  "unclean'' 
animal,  yet  bear  on  their  face  the  marks  of  extreme  antiquity,  the 
first  place  belongs  to  the  Hebrew  Passover,  held  in  the  spring 
month  Nisan,  where  the  primitive  character  of  the  offering 
appears  not  only  from  the  details  of  the  ritual,  but  from  the 
coincidence  of  the  season  with  that  of  the  Arabian  sacrifices  in 
the  month  Rajab.' 

Similarly  Prof.  Rudolph  Smend  ^ : — 

*  The  Passover  sacrifice  was  not  originally  connected  with 
Yahweh  ;  it  is  older  than  the  God  of  Israel.' 

The  Passover  is  generall3'  regarded  as  a  later  modification  of 
the  spring  sacrifice  of  the  firstlings  of  cattle  by  the  nomads  ;  but 
Benzinger*  and  others  regard  the  sprinkling  of  the  doorposts,  &c., 
with  blood  as  the  essential  and  primitive  element  of  the  ritual. 
Such  ceremonies  were  common  in  early  times  either  as  an  offering 
to  the  household  gods,  who  were  supposed  to  have  their  seat  at 
the  door  or  the  threshold,  or  were  represented  there  by  their 
images  ;  or  as  a  protection  against  hostile  demons  who  might 
wish  to  force  their  way  into  the  tent. 


'   P.  115.  '  Religion  of  the  Semites,  p.  406. 

^  A.  T.,  Religionsgeschichte,  p.  127. 
*  Enc.  Bibl.,  art.  Passover. 


384 


APPENDIX    II 

THE  TABERNACLE 
(Cf.  Introduction,  pp.  6ff.  and  notes  on  xxxi  ff.) 

The  account  of  the  Tabernacle  is  in  many  respects  incomplete 
and  obscure.  The  various  models  and  pictures  with  which  most 
of  us  are  familiar  can  only  be  constructed  by  supplying  much  as 
to  which  the  Bible  is  silent ;  by  putting  a  more  or  less  probable, 
but  far  from  certain,  interpretation  on  ambiguous  phrases  ;  and  b3' 
ignoring  minor  details  of  the  description  which  are  inconsistent 
with  more  important  passages.  The  use  of  some  such  method  is 
inevitable,  if  we  are  to  try  to  realize  the  intention  of  the  author. 

Up  to  a  certain  point  these  intentions  are  obvious ;  but  in  other 
matters  there  are  gaps  in  our  information,  or  the  author's  meaning 
is  doubtful. 

(i)  Let  us  take  first  what  is  obvious.  Even  here  we  obtain  our 
results  partly  by  interpretation  ;  the  general  intention  is,  as  it 
seems  to  us,  perfectly  clear,  and  up  to  a  certain  point  can  be  used 
to  interpret  what  is  ambiguous,  and  to  supplement  what  is 
inadequate. 

The  Tabernacle,  then,  was  to  be  a  movable  Sanctuary,  provided 
with  a  movable  barrier  which  was  to  be  arranged  so  as  to  form 
an  enclosure  round  it.  The  Tabernacle  itself  had  a  wooden 
framework,  consisting  of  boards  or  wooden  frames.  These  were 
provided  with  sockets  in  which  they  were  to  be  fixed,  so  that  they 
could  stand  upright.  These  were  to  be  overlaid  with  gold.  They 
formed  two  sides  and  a  back,  leaving  the  front  open. 

This  framework  was  to  be  covered  by  a  tent — the  Dwelling — 
composed  of  a  series  of  curtains  fastened  together,  and  also  a  veil 
dividing  the  Tabernacle  into  two  parts,  and  a  screen  shutting  in 
the  open  front  of  the  wooden  framework.  The  curtains  were 
supported  by  the  framework,  and  the  veil  and  screen  by  pillars. 
Over  this  Dwelling  were  three  upper  coverings. 

This  Tabernacle  was  divided  into  an  inner  chamber,  the  Most 
Holy  Place,  containing  the  Ark  ;  an  outer  chamber,  the  Holy 
Place,  containing  a  seven-branched  Lampstand,  a  Table  for  the 
Shewbread,  and — perhaps — an  Altar  of  Incense  (cf.  on  xxx.  1-5). 

The  outer  barrier  consisted  of  curtains,  supported  on  pillars, 
standing  in  sockets,  and  formed  an  oblong  enclosure.  Here 
stood  the  Altar  of  Sacrifice  in  front  of  the  Tabernacle. 

It  is  clearly  the  intention  of  the  author  that  the   Most  Holy 


THE   TABERNACLE 


285 


286 


APPENDIX   II 


Place,  'the  Holy  of  Holies,'  should  be  a  cube  of  lo  x  lo  x  lo 
cubits;  and  that  the  outer  chamber,  the  Holy  Place,  should  be 
also  ID  cubits  high,  and  lo  cubits  broad,  but  double  the  length, 
i.  e.  20  cubits. 

The  enclosure  or  court  was  100  cubits  by  50  cubits,  wilh 
a  barrier  5  cubits  high. 

The  Holy  of  Holies  formed  exactly  the  centre  square  of  the 
hinder  or  western  half  of  the  court ;  and  corresponding  to  it,  the 
Altar  of  Sacrifice  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  centre  square  of  the 
front  or  eastern  half  of  the  court. 

The  Tabernacle  and  its  court  stand  east  and  west,  facing 
the  east. 

The  materials,  gold,  silver,  brass,  costly  clothes  dyed  various 
bright  colours,  show  that  the  Sanctuary  was  intended  to  provide 
a  unique  example  of  conspicuous  splendour,  erected  regardless  of 
expense. 

NORTH 


s» 


.u:  :■ 


O       10: 


60  50  40  JO  20  «0 

SOUTH 

Plan  of  the  Court  of  the  Tabernacle 

Scale  tjin.  =  i  cubit. 
(From  Yi2i%i\[)gs,''&  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.) 
The  Tabernacle  is   made  up  of  comparatively  small   portions, 
curtains,  boards,  &c.,  so  that  it  may  be  readily  put   up  and  taken 
down,  and  moved  from  place  to  place. 

The  structure  is  a  compromise  between  two  kinds  of  sanctuaries; 
the  wooden  framework  corresponds  to  a  Temple  such  as  Solomon's, 
the  coverings  represent  a  Tent 

ii)  Next  let  us  consider  the  onii6sions  and  ambiguities  of  the 
description. 

'a)  Floor.  No  provision  is  made  for  any  covering  for  the  ground. 


THE   TABERNACLE  287 

It  seems  strange  that  this  should  be  so  in  a  description  of  a 
magnificent  structure,  and  that  nothing  should  be  said  about  it. 
Egyptian  temples,  however,  had  no  marble  floors;  carpets  or  other 
coverings  are  sometimes  laid  on  the  floor  in  the  tents  of  Bedouin 
sheikhs. 

{b)  Tent-ridge,  &c.  The  present  writer  consulted  a  friend  with 
much  practical  experience  in  manufacturing  tents  and  other 
structures  of  wood,  cloth,  &c.  ;  and  his  opinion  is  that  the  Taber- 
nacle would  not  be  stable  without  numerous  supports  in  addition 
to  those  mentioned  in  Exodus,  joists,  cross-pieces,  &c.  Some  sort 
of  wooden  ridge  to  support  the  four  heavy  cloth  coverings  seems 
required. 

At  first  sight  we  might  find  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty  in  the 
indefiniteness  of  Exodus — thickness  of  the  boards  is  not  given,  and 
we  may  imagine  them  as  substantial  as  we  like.  But  this  only 
lands  us  in  a  dilemma.  If  they  are  thin,  they  will  not  stand  the 
strain  to  which  they  are  exposed  ;  but  if  they  are  thick — and  some 
maintain  they  are  ij  cubits  thick— the  difficulties  of  transport 
become  enormous,  and  no  timber  accessible  in  the  wilderness 
would  furnish  such  beams. 

(c)  Inner  and  Outer  Measurements,  &c.  Other  considerations, 
too,  are  involved  in  the  thickness  of  the  boards.  While  all,  prac- 
tically, are  agreed  that  the  Holy  of  Holies  was  a  cube  of  lo  cubits 
each  way,  much  time  has  been  spent  on  discussing  whether  the 
ten  cubits  are  to  be  measured  inside  or  outside.  The  present 
writer  does  not  feel  that  either  view  will  work,  and  is  convinced 
that  the  Priestly  author  did  not  take  into  account  the  difference 
between  inner  and  outer  measurement,  i.  e.  he  quite  ignored  the 
thickness  of  the  boards.  In  the  same  way  he  ignores  the  adjust- 
ments necessary  at  corners  ;  his  arrangement  of  pillars  will  not 
work  as  he  obviously  intends  it  should  ;  and  he  does  not  allow  for 
folds  and  slackness  of  curtains — he  assumes  that  they  will  be 
perfectly  rigid. ^ 

{d)  The  Arrangetnent  of  the  Curtains,  &c.  It  is  not  expressly  said 
how  the  Curtains  and  other  coverings  are  to  be  placed  over  the 
wooden  framework  ;  but  the  dimension  of  the  goats'-hair  curtains 
from  edge  to  edge,  across  the  framework,  viz.  30  cubits,  i.  e.  the 
sum  of  the  breadth  and  the  height  of  the  two  sides,  implies  that 
the  coverings  were  to  be  laid  over  the  wooden  framework,  as  a 
pall  is  laid  over  a  coffin. 

Another  view,  however,  has  been  taken.  It  has  been  supposed 
that  there  was  to  be  a  roof-ridge  higher  than  the  sides,  so  that  the 
<.dges  of  the  curtains  hung  at  some  4  or  5  cubits  from  the  ground. 
But  this  view  would  add  considerably  to  the  difficulty  of  under- 
standing the  description. 

*    Cf.   p.  312. 


388  APPENDIX    II 

(iii)  The  Tabernacle  and  the  Temples.  The  same  general  plan  is 
common  to  the  Tabernacle  and  the  four  Temples — those  of  Solomon, 
Zerubbabel,  and  Herod,  and  that  designed  by  Ezekiel ;  in  all  four 
there  is  a  building  with  inner  and  outer  chambers,  with  an  altar 
in  front  and  an  enclosure  or  court.  The  contents  of  the  chambers 
were  the  same,  except  that  there  was  no  Ark  in  the  post-exilic 
Temples. 

In  the  Temples  of  Solomon  and  Ezekiel  the  dimensions  of  the 
two  chambers  were  double  those  of  the  Tabernacle,  the  Holy 
Place  was  40  x  20  x  20  cubits,  and  the  Holy  of  Holies  20  x  20  x  20 ^ 
There  were  cells  or  small  chambers  built  on  to  these  ;  and  there 
were  additional  courts,  &c.,  &c.  Instead  of  the  one  seven-branched 
lampstand  Solomon's  Temple  had  ten  single  lampstands  ;  but  the 
seven-branched  stand  reappeared  in  the  Temple  of  Herod. 

(iv^  Origin  and  Nature  of  the  Priestly  Description  of  the  Taber- 
nacle. We  know  from  the  other  documents  of  the  Pentateuch  that 
the  Israelites  had  a  tradition  of  a  Sacred  Tent  in  use  amongst  their 
ancestors  during  the  wanderings.  It  is  possible,  though  not 
probable,  that  this  tradition  as  it  reached  the  Priestly  writers  in- 
cluded some  general  statements  as  to  its  dimensions,  arrangement, 
and  equipment.  But  whatever  tradition  may  have  been  available 
was  clearly  supplemented  and  corrected  by  reminiscences  of 
Solomon's  Temple. 

As,  however,  the  purpose  of  the  description  was  to  guide  the 
Jews  in  restoring  the  Temple ;  the  writer  had  introduced  modifi- 
cations which  seemed  desirable.  What  we  know  of  the  later 
Temples  shows  that  those  who  built  them  understood  that  this 
was  the  purpose  of  these  chapters,  and  used  them  accordingly. 

'  There  is  a  difficulty  as  to  the  height. 


289 


APPENDIX    III 

THE   DATE   OF   HAMMURABI. 
(Cf.  Introduction,  pp.  10,  13  ff.,  and  notes  168  flf.) 

The  reader  may  be  surprised  at  the  variety  and  range  of  the 
dates  given  for  Hammurabi.  They  are  due  to  a  recent  discovery 
that  certain  Babylonian  dynasties  before  supposed  to  be  con- 
secutive were  really  contemporaneous,  so  that  there  was  only 
a  single  period,  during  which  two  or  more  dynasties  ruled  side  by 
side,  instead  of  a  number  of  periods.  Hence  the  reduction  in  the 
figures  for  Hammurabi  and  other  ancient  dates.  There  is  not 
at  present  any  exact  agreement  amongst  Assyriologists  as  to 
what  the  new  date  is  to  be.  One  friend,  who  is  an  authority  on 
this  subject,  mentioned  to  the  present  writer  about  b.  c.  1920. 
Dr.  Paul  Haupt  gives  in  a  letter  b.  c.  1958-1916.  Others,  as  in 
the  notes,  give  b.  c.  2100 ;  thus  Tofteen,  Ancient  Chronology, 
Part  I,  gives  b.  c.  2109-2066. 

Attempts  are  made,  for  apologetic  purposes,  to  show  an  agree- 
ment between  the  Babylonian  and  the  Biblical  Chronology.  But 
in  addition  to  the  inconsistencies  pointed  out  in  the  Introduction, 
the  Biblical  data  are  rendered  uncertain  by  the  variations  between 
the  figures  in  the  Massoretic  Hebrew  text,  the  Samaritan  Hebrew 
text, '  and  the  various  MSS.  of  the  Septuagint.  In  view  of  the 
uncertainties  on  both  the  Biblical  side  and  the  Babylonian,  it 
would  be  premature  to  build  on  any  supposed  agreement  between 
them. 

*  Samaritan  Pentateuch. 


U 


INDEX 


[T/ie  Numerals  refer  to  the  PagesP^ 


Aaron,  6,  63,  149,  245. 
Altar  of  Incense,  235,  271. 

—  of  Sacrifice,  215,  271. 
Amarna  Tablets,  12. 
Amraphel,  see  Hantmttrabi. 
Analysis,  19,  31,  33- 

—  Limits  of,  27,  156,  245, 
Angel  of  the  Lord,  55,  193. 
Arch  of  Titus,  205. 

Ark,  48,  200. 
Ashera,  258. 

Babylon,  6,  10. 

Boards,  210. 

Bondage  in  Egypt,  5,  41. 

Book  of  the  Covenant,  13,  167. 

Breastplate  (High  Priest's),  221, 

275. 
Burnt-offering,  107. 

Calf,  Golden,  244, 
Candlestick,  Golden,  204. 
Cherubim,  202. 
Circumcision,  67. 
Clasp,  208. 
Commandments,  Ten,   see   Ten 

Com  tnandments. 
Composition  of  the  Pentateuch, 

Consecration  of  Priests,&c.,227. 
Court  of  the  Tabernacle,  216. 
Covenant,  54. 

—  Book  of  the,  13,  167. 
Cunning  Workman,  208. 

D,  30. 

Daily  Offerings,  233. 


Date  of  Exodus,  8. 

—  Hammurabi,  10,  389. 
Deuteronomy,  16. 
Dwelling,  207. 

E,  30. 

Egypt,  6,  9. 

Eleazar,  77, 

Elohistic  Document,  3,  16,  22. 

Ephod,  220,  275. 

Etham,  128. 

Exodus,  The,  5. 

—  Date  of,  8. 

Exodus,    Book    of.    Historical 
Significance  of,  3. 

—  Name,  15. 

—  How  written,  15. 

Fine  twined  linen,  208. 
Firstborn,  Sacrifice  of,  188. 

Gershom,  52. 
Golden  Calf,  244. 

—  Candlestick,  204. 

Hammurabi,  10,  13,  168,  180  ff., 

289. 
Heave-offering,  199,  231. 
Herodotus.  93. 
Historical       Significance       of 

Exodtts,  3. 
Horeb,  54. 
Hur,  150. 

Incense,  Altar  of,  235. 

—  Sacred,  241,  271. 
Interest,  186. 


INDEX 


291 


J,  Jehovistic  (Yahwistic) 
Document,  16   19,  29. 

Jehovah,  59. 

Jethro,  54. 

Josephus,  47,  50,  80,  93,  126, 
150. 

Joshua,  7,  149. 

Kapporeih,  202. 
Knop,  206. 

L,  30, 

Lampstand,  Golden.  204,  270. 

Laver,  Brazen,  239,  272. 

La3'ing  on  of  hands,  229. 

Levite,  64. 

Linen,  fine  twined,  208. 

Literature,  37. 

Lord,  59. 

Maffeba,  194. 
Manna,  142. 
Massah,  148. 
Massoretic  Text,  36. 
Merc3'-seat,  202. 
Merenptah,  8  ft'. 
Meribah,  148. 
Miriam,  136. 
Moses,  5,  47,  49. 

Name,  Divine,  57,  59. 

Oil,  Lamp,  218. 

—  Anointing,  239,  271, 
Offering,  Burnt,  107. 

—  Daily,  233. 

—  Heave,  199,  231. 

—  Peace,  169, 

—  Wave,  231. 
Ordination  of  Priests,  227. 
Ouches,  221. 

P,  16,  25,  30. 
Passover,  io8fl.,  283. 
Peace-offering,  169. 
Pentateuch,  Composition  of,  15. 
Person,  Injuries  to,  174- 


Pharaoh  of  Oppression,  8  f.,  43. 

—  of  Exodus,  8  f. 
Philistines,  127. 
Philo,  47,  50,  80. 
Phinehas,  78. 
Pillars,  194. 
Pithom,  44. 
Poll  Tax,  237. 

Priestly  Document,  3, 16, 25,  co. 
Primitive  Document,  3, 16,19,30. 
Plagues,  Ten,  20,  22,  25,  8r. 

Quails,  14a. 

R,  30. 

Raamses,  44. 
Ramses  II,  8  f.,  43. 
Red  Sea,  127. 
Rephidim,  147. 
Reuel,  51. 

S,  30. 

Sabbath,  243,  262. 
Sacrifice  of  Firstborn,  188. 
Samaritan        Pentateuch        or 
Samaritan  Hebrew  Text,  36. 
Septuagint,  36. 

—  differences  from  Hebrew 
Text,  262. 

Shaddai,  73.  / 

Shekel,  178. 
Shewbread,  204. 

—  Table  of,  203,  269. 
Sin,  Wilderness  of,  140. 
Sinai,  54,  140. 
Slaves,  170. 

Succoth,  119. 

Symbols  for  Documents,  30. 

Syriac  Version,  36. 

Tabernacle,  8,  207. 

Table  of  Shewbread,  203,  284. 

Talent,  207. 

Talmud  (Ancient  Jewish  Com- 
mentary), 80. 

Targum  (Aramaic  Translation 
or  Paraphrase),  54,  80. 


292 


EXODUS 


Ten  Commandments  or  Words. 

—  Elohistic  Edition,  24,  160, 

—  Primitive      or      Jehovistic 
Edition,  21,  255. 

Ten  Plagues,  20,  22,  25,  81. 

Tent  of  Meeting,  218. 

Testimony,  146. 

J'exts,  36. 

Tradition,  Jewish,  80. 

Urim  and  Thummim,  224. 
Usury,.  186. 


Veil  of  Tabernacle,  213. 
Versions,  36. 
Vulgate,  36. 

Wave -offering,  231. 
Words,  Ten,  21,  24,  16c 
Workman,  Cunning,  208 

Yahweh,  59. 
Yahwistic  Document,  16, 

Zipporah,  52. 


tXFORD:    HORACE   HART.   PRINTER   TO  THE  UNIVERS* 


